Time went by as Jack settled into the fact that he was going to be a working father this time. No more was he going to run away from the responsibility and he would not let anyone take away his rights as a father. Jack was planning on being home as often as possible, which was just fine with NG. Their relationship was growing stronger each day and it was pleasant to have this actual sense of family beginning. Now for the first time he would have a brood of his own calling him Dad. It was frightening as it was wonderful.
He just hoped it didn't have that touch of bitterness he got with Alice in the past. He wanted this to be a new start; a fresh beginning as it should be when one starts a family. That was something he had wanted to believe but hadn't always worked out in the past. This time as he watched NG work on a program with Leon, he knew the world that once was just wasn't there anymore. He was looking into a future that at one time he thought could never be. A future with a family he always wished he could have.
As for the Weevils, they weren't so lucky. The old population that had been counted by NG recently was dwindling at an alarming rate. Mark and he tried to get into the minds of the fresh batch of resident Weevils, but they just weren't able to. The last time gave both men terrible side effects prompting Jack to end the experiment. His opinion was that maybe it is just time to let nature take its course. If the Weevils were being phased out of the universe so why should Torchwood try to prevent it from happening. There was an eco system somewhere that maybe just had its fill of the Weevils. So Jack asked Anna to just let it be.
Anna was upset visibly with Jack for this. She was calling him sir and staying away from him at times. This didn't bode well with Robert who held true to the words the guardian had said in confirming he would protect his offspring. Robert convinced Anna to make up with Jack. She did but not without informing him that she would do the research on her own time. He huffed but gave her leave to do what she wanted. Who was he to stop her or any one of his employees? He was only their boss.
But that never really had much meaning to a bunch of strong willed, very bright humans. So Jack smiled, accepting the fact that even he wasn't needed all the time. So he told them that he would be part time, around for emergencies and paper work but mainly he wanted to raise his family. The snickers from the group didn't help Jack's conviction. He was a fixture just like the Rift was. They just didn't believe he would ever not be there.
Of course Becca and Harry gave Anna a hand with her quest. But it didn't make a difference; in the end the universe always wins. At one point the Weevils stopped coming through the Rift and it was believed that they were gone. Anna and the others had designed a best of montage of all the Weevil happenings over the years with a Torchwood showing that day in the Hub's main room. It was met with a lot of laughs and a few sad memories, as all viewed Ianto, Owen, Tosh and James in various Weevil research. Gwen and Jack shared a look when Owen and Tosh were together making faces at Janet one. Both of them thought that it didn't seem fair that they never got the chance to be lovers. Owen would have loved Tosh as much as she always loved him. Some things like the death of a species and love just didn't play fair when the universe took control.
Jack understood how things weren't always fair. But sometimes you just have to take charge of what you believe in or lose everything. He thought about this as he caught sight of NG later on. Jack fell in love lately every time he saw him. To Jack, he had his little piece of heaven at last. He would be the parent he dreamed of being and have a chance at the piece of normal like he had with Ianto once again. He mused that having triplets were far from normal and wondered if he was wishing for more than he could handle. Three at once! It had been bad enough with the twins and they weren't his.
He began to sweat and then laughed to himself. "Cold feet are something you never had, Harkness!" It passed as he caught NG's smile. His path in motion, he walked towards his next life.
Sometime later that day NG was sitting in the main room going over some data when Anna made the announcement that the last Weevil of the new batch they had in the Hub had passed on. He hung his head down for a moment remembering the battles he had trying to enter their minds. They were unique creatures despite what he had read from Owen Harper's reports.
"I don't think I would have liked Owen very much." He spoke out loud, catching Gwen's attention.
"He wasn't very likeable for the most part. I didn't think he wanted to be liked. I don't know if he would have been so involved with this group. He was somewhat of a loner, more like Jack was back then. Seems strange to think how long Tosh and he have been gone." She looked at the picture she kept of the pair on her desk.
"I would have loved to have met Tosh. She seemed so loving. Uncle Ianto use to tell me stories of her when I couldn't sleep. She was the perfect tragic heroine." He typed her name on the keyboard, watching as Tosh's records came up.
"She was smart and beautiful." Jack said as he walked down the stairs. He stopped by NG's desk to glance at Tosh's face. "The two of you would have gotten along." He kissed the top of NG's head, reaching around to rub his belly.
"I'm not the Buddha Jack!" He smirked at his lover.
"Rhys use to do that with Harry and Rhys Jr. I think he thought that if he touched it I wouldn't feel so fat. It didn't work." She started to type on her keyboard signaling she was returning to work.
"I rather like it. It makes me feel warm and content for some reason. Jack, can you sneak me out of here? I want to go home." He winked at Jack as a signal as to why he really wanted to go home.
"Just let me chat with Anna a bit. She is beating herself up about the Weevils and then we can be on our way. Is that alright with you, former PC Cooper?" He put his hand on Gwen's shoulder.
"Of course. I was thinking the same thing. We have caught up on everything, believe it or not. Outside of the side projects the nerd elites are working on, there isn't much to do. I think I will put my feet up and just do nothing. One can never have too much of that." She turned her screen off and stood. "Have fun, you two!" She grabbed her bag and left.
"Be back in a bit." Jack said to NG as he sauntered off to find Anna.
"He just can't walk out of a room." NG smiled to himself, as he got ready to leave.
Anna was sad feeling like she had failed. Jack tried to correct that by telling her she was the best and some things just couldn't be controlled. It didn't work as she said she needed to know that what she did was good to some extent.
"Jack, I need to feel like my skills matter. I just want to be able to solve the problems given me. I couldn't this time. I feel lost and a little wobbly on my feet from failing them. They were magnificent." She tapped her keyboard and a Weevil in motion appeared on the gigantic screen.
Jack knitted his eyebrows together before he broke out laughing. "Anna it isn't like they are some exotic bird. I don't mean to sound cruel or uncaring but on the best of days a Weevil stinks. They don't clean themselves. They eat whatever the sewers are serving that day. Anna, I know you feel you have to keep their memory alive, but they really weren't anything great." He thought he went too far as she just turned red and stared at him.
Anna blinked a few times as what he said hit home. "Oh god, you're right. Not that they weren't worth saving but I was being a bit dramatic their because I lost them. But Jack, you are an ass for laughing. I saw a little tear fall when you saw Janet with Ianto. Come on, they were a part of this place, right?" She pouted, waiting for him to respond.
"I was thinking how my kids wouldn't be able to see one. You caught me. But don't let yourself get lost in this. It happens, Anna. Study what your research gives you and then make a report. Maybe it will help some poor sod who has your job in the future find the answers in a similar situation." He hugged her warmly. She fell into his arms and cried. It was what humans did when they grieved. With Anna in his arms, Jack felt human again.
Of course Jack got sidetracked by a group of three asking him if he was really going to "retire." Sally and Dan laughed as they were joined by John saying at the same time that just knew that the Captain was still going to show up for work every day soon enough. Jack wasn't the mothering type. He would cave to changing diapers over something coming in from the Rift quickly. Though Sally did want lots of pictures or Jack feeding, burping and changing the babies. She said she want it for the future. They all knew that to mean blackmail the second that Jack came back for full time work.
Jack said it was real; he was going to do this. He felt he needed to so NG would be stabilized besides he wanted to raise them. At that point Dan was promoted to acting Commander and John remained as second with Harry as his assistant.
"He is a Cooper/Williams, he deserves a chance at Second one day. Hell, he may even make first." Jack smiled, mimicking Gwen's face and voice with his comment.
"Good thing you put the twins as head of the Science department." Sally scrunched up her face. "I didn't even know we had a one of those by name. But I guess with all these extra people it makes sense to create departments. Something for you to come up with Dan." She elbowed him in the ribs lightly.
"And I married you becauseā¦" He grinned at his wife. For the most part his life turned out just the way he wanted. "Now use that attitude and get your children home. Jane really has to stop promising things. She needs to come and visit. They all do."
Jack left them there and returned to his desk for a moment to himself.
So with that taken care of Jack put his feet up on his desk and rested his arms behind his head. It would remain his office. Dan would have a new one. But this place would always be Jack's domain.
"We have to face it NG. It might be better if you stay at the Hub until the kids are born. I mean this way we can watch you better, if only to keep you safe. Please don't look at me like that. I'm just making a suggestion." Jack didn't want to fight, but it was a concern that the pregnancy was making NG unstable. Anna and Dan both noticed that NG was having a hard time controlling his talents. His readings were unstable sometimes. It was small but with the Hub's equipment, they could stabilize him a bit more. So Jack suggested they just move into the Hub.
"You didn't build a house for me to live in the Hub. Jack, let me think about it. I want to raise them in a home, not in a basement of Torchwood." He smiled at Jack.
"Only until they are born, then you can go home. NG, is it so much to ask? I just want you all safe." He reached for NG's hand but didn't connect to it.
Jack rounded the corner too fast and didn't see the school bus until he was just about on top of it. He couldn't break but turned the wheel so his side took the impact. His first thought was about NG.
The air bags went off cushioning NG from the impact but when Jack got his senses back, he noticed it didn't matter. The last thing he remembered hearing was NG shouting, "look out," followed by the crunch of the SUV hitting the bus. Some how NG wasn't in the vehicle any more.
"Shit!" Jack struggled to get out of the vehicle as more bystanders came to help.
"We called the EMTs they are on the way sir." One person said while Jack frantically ran around looking for NG. He called his name and asked if anyone saw him. The bystanders looked confused until one spoke up.
"Mister, you were alone in the car."
"What happen?" Jack demanded answers from his people. They didn't have any.
"It wasn't a Rift spike, it wasn't even like he was forced. Jack it was almost like he protected the children and himself by jumping. But where he went, we just don't know. I lost the connection with the bracelet. All we can do is wait." Dan took a step back as he watched Jack's frustration flare.
"He can't wait, he is pregnant and out Gods know where by himself!" He lost it then breaking before all of them by throwing a chair at the wall.
Mark stood there watching this scene unfold. It was too unreal that NG was gone, that he might never see him or his grandchildren again. "Jack this isn't the answer. Come, let's go to your office and let them do their job. We'll find them. Don't worry. It will be all right." He heard his best friend's words but he couldn't believe them.
Jack turned to look at Mark. It seemed like he didn't know who he was for an instant. But he gave in and headed to his office. The rest of the eyes in the Hub watched Jack leave, followed by Mark. They returned to the task at hand, finding NG and bringing him and the children home.
The flash of light settled as NG fell to his knees onto the stone road. His head ached but he was more concerned for the triplets. As he reached into their tender little minds he was relieved that they were still sleeping. He knew that he wasn't. Whatever place he was in it was very physical to his senses. He could still feel the fear he had when he saw the bus coming right for him. To his horror he knew he had jumped to avoid the impact.
"This isn't a good time to be running around time NG, not in your state. So much for the damn bracelet stopping it. The worst part is I have no idea how to get back. I should have listened to Jack and went to stay in the Hub for the rest of the pregnancy. Now I'm lost and I'm not sure were I am." He put his hand in front of his mouth as the contents of his stomach decided to come out. "I can't lose my lunch now, I'm not sure if I will find food again." He thought. So even though the idea made him sicker, he swallowed his lunch again.
He was weak when he stood up, feeling the blood seep through his jeans from where his knees had hit the stones. His headache was worse now as he reached to rub his temples he started to look around. He noticed then that it was not a road he landed in but a dried up riverbed that to his eyes looked like it hadn't seen water in many, many years. He let his gaze trail up the bank to the land around. Small amounts of plant life scattered the landscape reminding him of parts of Australia Bo use to take him to when they went on research expeditions on some of the many out lying digs that connect to the main one that Bo was head of. It was the one that NG lied about getting the job with. Well he didn't lie about it he just never started it. But when he met Bo he became involved indirectly with it. Bo just loved to take NG everywhere he went like it was an adventure. NG for the most part had been happy with their little trips.
It bothered NG that he was thinking of Bo when he should be finding shelter and water and see if he could figure out how to get home. Suddenly Ianto was awake, alerted by his Papa's stress. "Easy there little one. Papa is more or less fine, just a little shaken. Why don't you go back to sleep so I can find my way out of here. Your Dad must be sick with worry. He is also going to yell lot at your Papa for not taking his advice." He spoke to his son as he climbed out of the dusty riverbed to find out which way would be best.
"I bet it wouldn't matter at this rate. I have no water, I'm five months pregnant with three babies and joy of joys the sun is rising. Do I head into it or away from it?"
"Papa, away, go away from the light," Ianto suggested. NG felt his son obey him after his words and curled up around his sisters to sleep.
"He's right I just hope it doesn't get too hot around here. Maybe I could see if I can pick up any emotions to see if anyone is around? I don't even smell any moisture. I wonder if I'm the only living thing on this rock? I'm not even sure where I am or what year it is. I must come up with a way to calculate all this in this wristband, maybe get Jack to revamp a VM for me once it is fixed. If I could locate myself, I may be able to bounce a signal off the Rift so the others could come for me or they could project a line home. Maybe something could be set up so the Rift could retrieve me." He removed his sweatshirt as the temperature rose around him. He put the hood over his head to block the sun from burning his neck. "But the basics first. I need, shelter and food and water not in that order but they will have to be found. Gods, did it just get hotter?"
He hoped it was just a hot flash from a hormone burst and not the actually air around him. The place felt like land does at that moment between winter and spring when things would come alive, only hotter. That could also mean a rainy season if he was to take a guess. But he wasn't sure that would happen. It didn't seem like this place obeyed the laws of nature. So he just tried not to think but made his way in a straight line for many hours.
He walked for miles without rest and he was starting to feel hungry as his family woke up demanding to be fed. Little Ianto was a trooper as he took charge of the girls and told them they had to be still. "Papa needs his energy, he isn't with Daddy right now but we are in another place." Of course the girls became scared, forcing their big brother to tell them to be still again; that it wasn't a game but life or death. NG was well aware that to get the concept of Ianto's words through to the girls he would have to send them images that he hoped their sheltered minds understand.
It worked as both girls settled down and told Papa they would be good. Ianto told his Papa that he loved him and he would keep them safe while NG looked for the basics needed to survive.
That didn't happen as hours passed him by with nothing. Not even a scent of a being, living or dead anywhere on this flat desert plain of a world. As for shelter, it was without rock or hiding spot to escape the heat.
"Maybe I should turn back and try the other way?" He let is mind wander a bit.
It wasn't long until he staggered and fell to the ground face first into the sand. He was too exhausted to even move his head but he managed to get one word out before he drifted away. "Jack" was sent off to the unknown of space, hoping that somehow he would be heard.
There wasn't much to do except watch the Rift. Jack didn't know where to even begin the search and for the most part, they haven't developed any useful tools to help. It was frustrating for all. Jack did what he felt was the best for him. Feeling like he could reach NG in thought he headed for the roof and watched the twilight turn to night lit up by the lights of the city of Cardiff.
Mark found him there sometime later silently watching his friend just stare up at the sky.
"I think that one there is Boeshane. Or will be in the future. John is pretty sure that it is." He worked his way around to Jack side and catching his eyes with his pointed finger, he showed Jack what point of light he was talking about.
Jack shook his head yes in agreement. His voice hoarse with pent up emotion he said, "That would be correct. I hope he is there."
"He might be, you never know. It would be long before the terra forming, not like that did a great job. The brochures always said "Paradise of the Future" though it was a dust bowl for us with just a bit of forest." Mark concentrated his mind, scanning the light. He felt nothing. "I'm too far away to reach him." His voice was sad.
"It is my fault, I didn't think and I should have known he would get pregnant, but I couldn't help it. Just like you were, I just couldn't stop. But I was so happy about it but now. Mark, he is gone. What do we do? We haven't been working hard enough to prepare for this." He didn't look at Mark, just off into the sky.
Mark couldn't think of anything to say as he stood next to his friend. He knew Jack was blaming himself, like he always did. So without words he reached for Jack's hand. They stood there for some time lost in their own separate grief watch the light that was to be Boeshane.
End Chapter 27
TBC
