Vengeance - Chapter Thirty-Seven

Author: Milady Dragon

4 February 5193 (Earth Standard Date)

Ddraig Llyn

Interlude – Henry Morgan

Henry quietly closed the door to the bedroom, not wanting to awaken his mate by his attempt at a stealthy exit.

It still scared him, how close he came to losing Rowena. Every time he saw that white bandage wrapped about his mate's chest, it reminded him that the Dragon Slayer had come very close to murdering her, and if it hadn't been for his son, he would now be mourning the person who'd turned out to be his soulmate, after so many centuries of existing alone.

He didn't want to think what Rowena's death would have done to him. Yes, he would have continued on, raising their adopted 'twins', but Henry knew he'd have become a hollowed-out shell of himself. He'd always questioned why he'd been made immortal until he'd met her, and then the idea of having someone walk beside him throughout his eternity had been like a dream come true for him. It hadn't even occurred to him that she might, someday, have been taken away from him, until he'd had time to consider it as he'd awaited rescue in the Pacific Ocean, after he'd come back to life when the bastard who'd killed Sabrina had killed him as well.

It gave him nightmares, just thinking about it.

Henry sighed. He made his way down the hallway of the house that had been provided for him and his family as Rowena recuperated from her injuries. He could hear conversation coming from the kitchen, and he smiled as he recognised Abraham saying something that Jocelyn answered, and then the deeper voice of his brother-by-mating, Gareth, who had been in to check on Rowena's progress before she'd gone back to sleep. According to him, Rowena was healing nicely, which was a relief.

The three of them were in the kitchen, where Jocelyn was making sandwiches for lunch. Henry leaned on the door jamb and watched his daughter bustling about the space, getting plates and cups down from the cupboard as Abraham and Gareth sat in the breakfast nook around the small table there, where a plate piled high with the aforementioned sandwiches was waiting.

Henry's stomach grumbled, and Jocelyn must have heard, because she turned to smile at him as she carried the plates to the table. "You could get the juice from the refrigerator, Dad," she suggested, her words bringing his presence to the attention of the others.

Grinning, Henry did as his daughter bid. Never in all of his greatest dreams had he seen this, this wonderful family that he'd gained for his sins. "Is apple alright with everyone?" he enquired as he noticed two pitchers; one of apple, and one of cranberry. While Jocelyn, Rowena, and himself loved cranberry, Abraham didn't, so he didn't offer.

That earned him three affirmations, so Henry lifted the large, glass pitcher off of its rack and carried it to the table. The pitcher itself was an antique, like pretty much everything else in the modest house the Morgan-Joneses lived in, but that was certainly to be expected when being a member of a clan made up of immortals – dragons and other types – and reincarnated souls. It made Henry feel more at home than ever.

He took a seat opposite Gareth, who wasn't shy about helping himself. One of the things that Henry had noticed almost immediately about the dragons of his family were their appetites, and the sheer number of sandwiches would have fed a human family of twenty, and yet the immortal was well aware he'd be lucky if he got two. It gave him a fond feeling, and he couldn't figure out why.

"Is Mum sleeping?" Jocelyn asked, as she helped herself to three of the sandwiches.

"She is."

"I'll make her up a plate of something later, then."

Henry gave his daughter a tender smile. "She'll appreciate that. You might want to make that two plates though. She's seems to be eating more now that she's healing."

"There…there's a reason for that," Gareth replied. "And it's more than just healing."

Henry's brother-by-mating was staring at his medical tablet, with a sandwich in his other hand, seemingly forgotten; and if the immortal was any judge of expression – and he was, a very good one – Gareth was looking a little gobsmacked at what he was seeing.

"What is it?" Henry didn't think it was anything to be concerned about, because if it was Gareth wouldn't be so sanguine about it.

Gareth carefully put the sandwich down on his plate, and his face gained a happy smile. "These are the latest blood test results." He waved the tablet about. "I've been concerned about possible infection, so I've been taking blood every four hours, just in case."

"I take it there's no infection then?"

"Not at all. As a matter of fact, I was going to start spacing out the testing to every morning, since if there hasn't been anything develop by now I'm pretty certain Rowena is out of danger from that sort of thing."

"But what did the results say, Uncle Gareth?" Abraham asked even as he was stuffing a sandwich into his mouth. Henry had always wondered if his son had, somehow, gotten his table manners from his grandfather, as he and Rowena both had impeccable manners when it came to eating.

Well, there was that time Rowena decided to wolf down an entire buck, but that had been an isolated instance and she'd been in the mood to hunt at the time. Henry had laughed at the antlers getting stuck in his mate's teeth, as there wasn't anything quite as funny as a dragon who couldn't get something out from between their molars.

The happy smile brightened. "Congratulations, Henry…you're going to be a father again."

The sandwich fell from Henry's suddenly numb fingers. "What?"

"It seems that Rowena is pregnant."

That news had both Jocelyn and Abraham up and out of their chairs, and dancing around the kitchen, laughing and crying and hugging each other.

Henry, though…he was stunned.

Absolutely, completely stunned.

He and Rowena had believed they'd never have natural children of their own. Yes, he was aware they were attached to a family that had defeated all of the odds when it came to getting pregnant – Ianto was a prime example – but Henry himself, no matter how long he'd lived, had never been able to reproduce with any of his previous lovers. He'd believed that becoming immortal had also made him infertile, and so he and Rowena had given up on that particular dream, happy to have adopted the two they had now, and possibly adopting more later on.

His eyes met Gareth's, and his brother nodded once, in confirmation of his words, his eyes glittering with joy. "Are you…" Henry faltered, not wanting to ask but needing to.

"Positive," Gareth said. "We're going to need to run some more tests to make certain the baby hasn't been injured by the medications we've been giving Rowena, but…yes, she's pregnant. I'd have to say by ten weeks, but that's a rough estimate given the level of hormones in this latest sample. I never tested for it before because it wasn't something I was expecting, given your own history, Henry. It was just a fluke that I did it now."

Henry slumped down in his chair, heart beating so loud he was positive it would have been heard all the way out to the lake. He was going to be a father. Again. This…he didn't know quite how to handle the sheer joy that was exploding within him, to know that he and Rowena would have another child, and that Abraham and Jocelyn would be gaining a sibling…

And then, in a heartbeat, it all came crashing down as he realised just how close he'd come to losing this.

This felt like a panic attack. He'd had many of them in his years of being immortal, so he was well aware of what a panic attack was like. Henry suddenly couldn't breathe, and his heart felt as if the very muscles were misfiring. His eyes darted up to meet Gareth's, and his doctor brother-by-mating was up in a second, pushing Henry's chair away from the table, and forcing his head between his knees.

"Breathe," Gareth ordered, rubbing his warm hand across Henry's back.

Henry could hear his children responding to their father's distress, but the immortal couldn't answer. He'd not only come close to losing his mate, but their unborn child…

Goddess save me…

As soon as he could speak – which, to be honest, Henry had no idea how long that was – he snarled, "I will put the Dragon Slayer in the ground for nearly killing my mate and my unborn baby."

"I think you might have just moved to the front of the vengeance queue," Gareth said, anger underpinning what would have been teasing words…if it were a completely different situation.

"But Dad," Jocelyn exclaimed, "we're gonna have a new baby!"

Henry sat up, smiling in the face of his children's excitement. He was unbelievably furious at the Dragon Slayer for targeting Rowena, but he couldn't help the joy that came bubbling up within him at the very real truth that he and his mate were going to be parents, and that Abraham and Jocelyn were so happy at the idea of being older siblings.

"We'll tell your mother as soon as she wakes up," Henry promised. He glanced at Gareth. "You know she'd going to be extremely put out over the fact that you told me first?"

Gareth snorted. "I'll apologise to her later. She'll understand…eventually."

"We need to tell Grandtad and Granddad and Aunt Anwyn and everyone!" Abraham enthused.

"Slow down," Henry laughed. "I agree that we need to tell everyone the good news, but I think Ianto needs to know about it first." As patriarch of the Jones clan, Ianto would have to be the first one notified that the family was about to gain one more; it wasn't a written rule, more implied, but it just seemed to the correct thing to do. "Then we can tell everyone else."

There would be some sort of party involved. There had been when Clint had gotten pregnant, so it was a forgone conclusion that there would be a celebration.

It might be the best sort of distraction the entire family needed from current events. Everyone was so tense right now, with the hunt for HYDRA and the Dragon Slayer. This would be just the thing they all needed to regain a sort of equilibrium, and perspective.

Not that Henry wanted to use his newest child like that, but he couldn't deny that the timing was right on point. It would be an affirmation of life, instead of the spectre of death that had settled over them all.

"Now," he went on, "everyone eat lunch. I'm going to walk over and let Ianto know the good news." He knew for a fact that his father-by-mating was in the valley; Jack, however, was on Trafusis, and he could trust Ianto to tell the other man as soon as he possibly could.

This would also give Henry a chance to get any sort of update there might be on what was occurring. They'd all watched what had happened on Throneworld yesterday, and he had to admit he was very worried for Phillip, after that display of magic his brother-by-mating had put on. He was proud that the Empress had given credit where credit was due, but he also knew Phillip; knew the man wouldn't be all that pleased with the sudden attention he would be getting.

"Dad," Jocelyn chided, "you need to eat, too."

"And I will." He grabbed his sandwich. "I'll eat on my way over to the Inn. Watch your mother for me, and I'll be back soon."

"Let us know what's going on when you get back, too," Abraham said.

"I shall."

Henry kissed Jocelyn on the top of the head, and then ruffled Abraham's hair, which had his son rolling his eyes at the gesture. He clapped Gareth on the shoulder on his way out of the kitchen, taking a bite of his sandwich as he slipped his shoes on at the door. He had to hold the sandwich in his teeth in order to wrestle his coat on, but then he was out of the house, heading down the path toward the lake.

Ddraig Llyn was a magical place. Henry had loved the village from the first moment he'd seen it, on the day Rowena had brought him home to meet her parents. At the time, the immortal had been nervous about it, but Jack and Ianto had welcomed him with open arms, and Henry had discovered that the rumours about the former Torchwood Director were true, and that Jack was the only other, functioning, known immortal in the universe; in a totally different way, but still. It had given both of them a firm footing for the friendship that had blossomed between them, and Henry had been disappointed in not having gotten to know Jack so much sooner. They have been opposites: Jack was so much more flamboyant than Henry could ever hope to be, but that only made their relationship that much stronger. Honestly, the magical immortal was more like Ianto than Jack in his manners.

It had snowed a little overnight, and Henry's shoes crunched through it as he made his way past other houses, each one a throwback to an earlier time, when the Earth hadn't been the founder of a vast Empire that spanned more galaxies than Henry would most likely ever see. Unless he and Rowena decided to take up travelling the archaeological sites throughout Imperial Space…but that plan would most likely need to be put on hold, now that they were expecting a baby.

Still, they had time. Henry had yet to get his doctorate in Archaeology, and that would take a couple of years. Perhaps in a century they'd be able to put their plans into motion.

For now, they were either going to need a larger house, or add onto to the one they'd been set up in while Rowena recuperated. He'd have to discuss it with his mate.

He greeted the few people who were out; mostly the full-time residents who'd taken to life within the secluded valley because they wanted a simpler way of life. Each and every one of them was a dragon friend, much like the ones who'd lived in Ddraig Llyn before the place had been abandoned after Jack and Ianto had moved to Hubworld.

Henry gave a jaunty wave to Emlyn and Aymara, with their daughter, Bronwyn, who were entering their own house just down the path from Henry and Rowena's own. Emlyn gave him a double-take at his grin, and she whispered something to her own mate that had Aymara staring at him as he passed by.

"Good news then, Henry?" Emlyn called out.

He turned in place as he walked past, keeping his eye on his sister-by-mating and her chosen mate, his feet sure on the well-beaten path. "Quite possibly the best news I could have gotten," he answered.

That had Aymara laughing happily, and Henry just knew that she'd figured it out simply from his response. "Congratulations!" she exclaimed happily.

It seemed to take Emlyn a couple of extra seconds, and Henry was turning back toward the Inn when her own congratulations echoed her mate's. He could just make out Bronwyn asking her mothers what was going on, but not the response.

The immortal didn't even have to guess at who would be planning the party in that moment.

Well, so much for Ianto finding out first.

The Water Dragon was sitting at the edge of the lake, looking extremely pleased with himself.

Henry couldn't help it. He stalked right up to the Great Dragon, waggling a finger at him. "I take it I have you to thank for this?" Traditionally, the Water Dragon was the one the ceremonies claimed was responsible for fertility, so this only made sense.

"I know not what you mean," the Water Dragon laughed, scales glittering wetly in the sunlight as his sides heaved.

"And you expect me to believe that?"

"Of course not. As you know me so well, Henry."

He couldn't help the fond smile he gave the Great Dragon. When he'd first been introduced to the four Great Dragons, Henry had been intimidated even though he'd tried very hard not to show it. Coming face-to-face with such ancient and metaphysical beings would have intimidated anyone. Now, however, he knew then as well as he could, and he quite liked them all.

He had to wonder just when the Water Dragon had managed to meddle, but then Anwyn had been a gift from the Great Dragons as well, and she'd been conceived on Hubworld. So, really, it could have been set in motion at any time.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

"You are quite welcome, my son. You and Rowena are precious to us, and we would do anything for you. You have already proven that you will be excellent parents to the little ones your mate is carrying."

"We'll do our best…" And then he spluttered to a halt. "Ones? Plural?"

The Water Dragon laughed happily, and then dove back into the lake, causing nary a ripple in the placid surface.

Henry stood there, in shocked disbelief. "Wait!" he shouted. "Just how many are we dealing with, here?"

It had to be twins. Rowena was a twin, so that made sense. But there was no telling just what the bloody Dragon had done. For all he knew, it could be some sort of dragon litter, although Ianto was very fond of saying that dragons didn't have litters…

He turned and headed back toward the inn, making a mental note to let Gareth know just what he'd been told. This would please Jocelyn and Abraham more than expecting just one sibling.

Yes, it pleased Henry as well, although there was just a little bit of sheer shock in him as well.

Gravel crunched under his feet as Henry walked up to the front door of the main Harkness-Jones residence, still known as the Green Dragon Inn even though it had long ago ceased to serve that function. The exterior reminded him of inns and hostels he'd known back when he'd been mortal, and Ianto had once explained to him that the original inn was much older than that. Henry could believe it; he could practically feel the age of the place, although this version of the inn wasn't all that old compared to the valley itself.

By habit, Henry kicked his shoes off as he entered the house. He slipped his coat off and hung it from one of the hooks by the door, the warmth of the place making his cold fingers tingle. Ianto was standing at the viewscreen in the lounge, little Daisy on his shoulder – and Henry couldn't wait to experience that again – and Anwyn standing next to her father. They were both tense, and Daisy was silent, which was unusual for the baby dragon, and Henry knew immediately something was very wrong.

His news forgotten, he joined the pair in front of the screen. It was split into two: Jack and Cadi on the right, and Robyn with that Lunar detective…Walsh, the one who resembled Clint, on the left. All four of them didn't look at all happy, which matched the mood in the house.

He got a closer look at Detective Walsh; he was sporting a cut along his hairline, and Henry could tell it had been caused by a blow to the head, and would bruise spectacularly. Robyn's eyes were in their dragon aspect, which was unusual in the extreme; Henry could count on one hand the times he'd seen his little sister look like that.

"What's going on?" he asked Anwyn, standing next to her.

"Detective Shraeger and Alyce were kidnapped," his sister growled.

Henry's heart dropped into his shoes. "Do we know who did it?"

"Not for sure," Detective Walsh answered, the microphones in the screen picking up Henry's question.

"It was Dorian," Robyn growled.

"Doctor Dorian?" Ianto pressed.

Henry knew who that was; he'd heard all about the meeting with the historian and what they'd discovered about the mysterious ring that had been found in his and Rowena's bedroom.

"Why do you say that, sweetheart?" Jack asked.

"When we met Dorian at the museum," Robyn explained, "Alyce told him that we were Casey's cousins – "
"You were at the British Museum?" Ianto confirmed.

"We were, but we can talk about that later, Tad." Robyn brushed him off, in a way she wouldn't normally do. Robyn was quiet and held a lot of deference for her fathers, and usually wasn't rude to either him or Jack.

But this was Alyce, the one sibling of the entire Harkness-Jones Horde that Robyn was closest to. Henry would have thought them as mates, if they weren't sisters, and Ianto had once said the same thing.

"The attackers called Alyce and me Casey's cousins."

"And you'd only told Dorian that," Cadi said.

"Who the hells is this Jeffrey Dorian?" Anwyn demanded. "Is he HYDRA? Was the whole thing with the ring some sort of bizarre set-up for you, Tad? Is the Dragon Slayer even who we think he is now?"

That was an excellent question. Henry's own logic was pointing out to him that, if it had been Ianto and Anwyn alone at the museum the first time for that original meeting, would Dorian had made some sort of move on them? Had the presence of the two Lunar detectives put paid to that plan?

"No," the dragon patriarch mused. "I tend to believe that part of the story. I don't think Dorian would have deviated that much from the truth, really. We've seen how HYDRA has a tendency to throw their failures under the proverbial bus, and I wonder if that wasn't what he was doing…"

"But we can't know for sure," Jack pointed out, "and now he has Alyce and Detective Shraeger."

"I want to go back to the museum and confront him – " Walsh began.

"You won't be alone, Detective," Ianto vowed. "I'll be there presently."

"Do we know who this Dorian person is?" Henry wanted to know. "Is he yet another reincarnation, or does he work for HYDRA of his own, free will?"

"I may be able to answer that."

Everyone in the room turned toward the voice. It was Toshiko Sato, standing just inside the room, a serious expression on her face that didn't seem to fit her young features. It wasn't easy to think of her as a ten-year-old child when she wore that particular expression, and Henry wished he'd met them woman back when she'd been with Torchwood.

"What do you have, Toshiko?" Ianto asked.

"I've been doing a little digging into everyone even peripherally involved in everything that's been going on," she answered, walking around the sofa to the control keyboard for the viewscreen. "Doctor Jeffrey Dorian seems perfectly clean. He's been with the British Museum for fifteen years, working his way up to his current position as an expert in Medieval Art and a Restoration Specialist. He has a perfectly normal background: family, education, residency…it all checks out."

"Then we have to assume he's a reincarnation," Anwyn said.

"All I know is," Ianto added, "is that he's nearly a dead ringer for the original Owen Harper. I was shocked the first time I saw him."

No, that wasn't possible…

Henry was aware of the stories of Jack and Ianto's original Torchwood team, and he'd done some additional research in his downtime while watching Rowena, since that original team was now showing up as reincarnations. He, too, had been shocked when he'd seen his first image of Torchwood's Medical Officer…

"Henry?" Jack's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"You say he resembles Owen Harper?" Henry needed to know.

Ianto was confused. "Yes, he does."

The immortal squared his shoulders. "Then, I'm going with you, Ianto. I…need to."

"What do you know?" Anwyn enquired worriedly. As if sensing his upset, Daisy had climbed down her Grandtad's shoulders and had launched herself at Henry, and it had taken all of his reflexes in order to catch her before she could fall. She cooed at him, the sweet sound ending like a question, staring up at him with large blue eyes that seemed to see far more than he wanted her to.

"I can't be certain," he said slowly, "but I don't think we're dealing with a reincarnation here."

"What are you talking about?" Cadi looked as if she wanted to crawl through the screen.

Henry swallowed heavily. If what he was thinking…it made so much sense. Someone had to have had knowledge of certain past events…the pieces were falling into place for the immortal, and he didn't want to consider it, but he had to…that this person had targeted Rowena specifically, that they'd known she was his mate.

That Rowena being hurt was his fault.

"I think…I think we're dealing with another immortal. One that looks exactly like Owen Harper, but is so much older than him. His name is Adam, and he's my enemy."