There was a part of Jack's soul that knew when Sean came back. He was suddenly tense as he sat at the table in the little cottage kitchen with the rest of Sean's closest friends and the Torchwood staff. He lifted his eyes from the study of the coffee mug cupped in his hands to gaze around the room.
Alice was the first her father sought. She stared out the window lost in her thoughts about the baby growing inside her. She turned back to the room to find her father looking at her directly. He looked older again, like the weight of the world was back on his shoulders. It was the same helpless look that he gave her after Steven's death. She smiled warmly at him, reaching for her middle to remind him that some things could be fixed.
He smiled at Alice with a melancholy glint showing in his soft blue eyes. Blue, Alice thought as the color she would always put to her Daddy. It seemed to be the color that best described him. Those eyes, that blue in them was solely her dad's. She herself had traces of that blue, but not quite the same. No one on this Earth had those eyes. So lost and alone in their gaze, haunted and always pain filled.
Except when she saw him around Sean, there was a peace, like Jack found someone to ground him. Now Sean was gone and that haunted look was back. Sean made a difference in her dad's life. Maybe that was why they were all sitting around with Jack. They wanted him to know he wasn't alone any more. There were so many friends hell bent to help him with his hurt being. The burden wasn't his to carry anymore.
Ralph and Helen sat opposite the former Time agent holding hands. The older couple was still so devoted to each other, even after many years together. They always reached for each other when they felt sad or distressed. Right now it was because they needed to show support for Jack. He always was envious of their shared feelings. Not in a bad way, he just wished for once he could feel that way for someone. Ralph knew from the times over the years that he had run to Jack in his emptiness. It was time for him to do the same for his friend. Within these feelings Sean was, at least Ralph hoped, Jack had finally found what he had with Helen. Ralph squeezed Helen's hand wishing that Sean made it back, for Jack's sake.
Sun Cat wandered out of the kitchen to join Sean's Da as he looked onto the patio and the garden. She put her hand on the near to tears Peter, and rubbed his back.
"I was going to tell you that he is remarkable. Peter, I know he will shine through this and come back. I believe in him. He is a lot like his father in that respect." She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"He is better than me, always was. He was that small beautiful boy, always smiling despite his pain. What have I done to him?" His tears fell as the rain did outside. Sun Cat merely pulled Peter closer as his tears fell as heavy as the rain pounding the patio. "I was never as good as him." He looked at the woman next to him, the one he should have married.
"You did exactly what he would have done, protect the ones you love. He is your son despite what you may think." She looked into his eyes. He nodded, losing all ambition to cry with her words, he went back to watching the rain.
Back in the kitchen, Andy flung open the door, soaked from head to toe. Alice stifled a giggle at her drowned rat of a partner and went to fetch a towel, careful not to disturb Peter and Sun Cat in their tender moment.
"It's raining bloody buckets out there. I've just come back from the field. Mickey says if it doesn't stop soon, the whole of Hope is going to be a lake. The machine is not working and we can't seem to figure out why." He took the towel Alice handed him briefly touching her hand; he smiled as he dried himself off.
"Sean was in control of the machine. He was supposed to have fixed it so it would function without him. Now something isn't right, something must have happened to Sean." Phil spoke as he began to head for the door. "Look, I know that machine, so do you Rita, we built it with Sean so maybe we can get it to stop the rain for a bit, just enough to get Hope to a better advantage." He looked at Jack, who was looking past him to the window and the pounding rain. Lightning flashed in the sky, thunder sounded as if the world was coming to an end.
"Right," Andy said. He kissed Alice and went for the door. "Let's see what we can do. Rhys you want to come?" He asked Rhys, who glanced at Gwen.
"Yeah, I'm just a body standing in the way here. Might as well do something even if it is to just get wet." He cupped his wife's chin and grabbed his coat leaving with Andy, Phil and Rita.
"Be careful," Jack pleaded with them. He wasn't even sure if they heard him over the loud crash and wind driven rain that deafened the occupants of the kitchen as the door opened.
Gwen went to comfort Jack in his current state. He reached for her hand as she came closer. Looking into her eyes, he wondered why he invited her into the soulless life of Torchwood in the first place. He thought of himself as being cruel to her, that he wanted to hurt something or he hoped she would have given up, but she was the strongest out of all of them. Maybe he believed she was the future of Torchwood. That her strength would help others survive in their future. His failures lay dead, meaning Gwen was the sum total of his work. Not bad, he mused. He could have chosen worse for the future of Torchwood. Oh, he could have turned others away. He felt he let his emotions dictate his actions with many of his choices since he was left with this burden on New Years Eve 1999.
But he thought of all the good that happened, and he smiled up at that progeny he created from her 'never give in' attitude. "We did good, right Gwen?" His voice was thick and husky with emotion. "Damn, I tried." He kissed her hand as he stood up.
"Yes Jack, of course we did good. Why don't you lie down a bit? We'll let you know…" Before the rest of the words left her mouth, a sudden crash of thunder mixed with lightning enveloped the house. The house went quiet until off in the distance, upstairs, a baby cried.
Jack let go of Gwen and followed by Martha and the others ran to the bedroom on the second floor.
Wide-eyed, Jack halted at the door to see a baby lying naked on the bed with a rather dead looking Sean next to the screaming infant. Jack caught the sob that escape his mouth and jumped quickly to the unmoving body of his lover. A touch of the hand to Sean's face revealed the skin to be ice cold.
"No!! NO!! NOOO!!!!" Jack began to scream, prompting Ralph to muscle Jack away as he signaled for Martha and Sun Cat to take a look at Sean.
"Jack, let them have a look. Hey, it is going to be all right." He hugged his dear friend, allowing the Immortal to collapse onto him. Jack hugged onto Ralph while the others tended to Sean.
Gwen appeared and took the baby in her arms, going to find a blanket for it with Alice to help her. Alice felt the need to go to her father but she saw that the room was full and the baby was in need of care as well. She knew that Ralph was not going to leave her dad so he was being looked after as well.
Martha checked over the lifeless Sean while Sun Cat took some readings of the area around the bed. Sean's body was lying prone on the bed; eyes staring lifelessly up at the ceiling gave every indication that he was indeed dead.
"I don't think I've seen this before. Martha, what do you make of this?" She showed the device to the young doctor.
"Just confirms what I was thinking. He is neither here or where he was last. He is stuck in the middle. Not alive or dead. He is just… I don't know how to put it. No brain functions, but there is no decomposition either. It is almost like he is preserved or frozen in a spot. He is ice cold. I don't like that."
Jack peeked up from Ralph's arms as he listened to what the two doctors were saying. He was at a loss for what to feel. Sean wasn't dead, but he wasn't alive either. Jack just blankly stared at the women as they continued their work and discussion.
The sun was around the group as the sound of the rushing water mixed with splashes and laughter from the picnickers. Ianto the bird came by to apologize to Jack by singing him a beautiful song. In the end the bluish bird snuggled on top of Jack's head near the recently injured spot. Jack couldn't help but smile as he settled down with a chicken leg to watch as Sean, Tina and Peter splashed around the water with Andy and Rhys. The rest of the group was chatting away. It was Alice that sat next to her Dad.
She reached for his hand that was not involved in food play and held it. As she watched the scene especially Andy's interaction with Tina, she made the decision to tell her Dad what was on her mind.
Running a hand over her middle she smiled, eyes glimmering in her father's direction. "Dad, I want to tell you something and you have to behave. I haven't told Andy and I don't want a fuss to be made in front of everyone. I'm going to have a baby."
Jack dropped the chicken leg and the abrupt turn of his head earned him a peck from Ianto the bird. "What, how, Andy???" was the extent of his response, though he did keep it low. But there was a quick glance directed at the lanky ex PC dancing around in the water splashing everyone.
"No Sean." Alice plainly stated.
Jack's composure shattered. He just gaped at his daughter eyes wide and mouth open. "Run that by me again, I didn't quite hear that," he finally said.
Alice's laugh was just like her Dad's. She loved the way Jack could be so adorable with his confusion. Burning him was an art form. One had to know what buttons to push to get the best reaction.
"Not that way. He said he gave me Steven back. He brought my body back to the first month of the pregnancy. It is true, Dad. Sun Cat confirmed it, as did Martha. I did a bloody virgin Mary!" She laughed towards him making him smile.
As he reached to hug her, he spoke. "This time I will be there for the both of you, and this time I'll be his grandfather. I promise!" They settled back down and ate some more food.
Sean walked over, reaching down he stole the new chicken leg Jack was nibbling on and took a bite. "It tastes better after you have bitten into it first." He said before Jack could protest the taking of his food.
Alice giggled at the interaction of the two and excused herself to go frolic in the water with Andy. The kiss they shared was wonderful to watch. Andy was lucky to turn Alice's head. Jack meant every word to his daughter. This time it would be different.
Jack pulled his lover into his lap and hugged him, reaching in to snake his arms around his small waist. He pulled Sean close enough to whisper into his ear. "Thank you, I don't know what else to say, but thank you for Steven." The whisper became a kiss on the neck; the kiss trailed its way to Sean's soft lips. Deepening the kiss, it was time for the lovers to leave the group. Jack needed to have Sean and Sean knew why.
They left unnoticed. Jack returned without Sean as the darkening sky threatened rain. Thunder sounded off towards Elaine's tombstone, causing the group to seize their playing and look at Jack's stricken face. "It has started; we had best get back to the cottage. Phil, Mickey. Sean left you instructions back at the tent. Meet us up at the cottage later. We have plans to make." Alone, he headed up the path. He had just said goodbye to Sean, he wanted a few minutes to adjust.
It was this memory that played in Jack's mind as the doctors worked on Sean. There was nothing they could do for him but wait. The rain had stopped and the sky was clearing but what happened in Eden, they didn't know. Only Sean knew that.
He could hear the baby crying. He wondered who the child was. The thought came to him. He shook off Ralph and hoarsely asked Martha a question. "Martha do you have Paul's DNA, from before his transformation, when he was in UNIT? They always put your DNA in the file."
Martha looked at Jack and nodded, knowing exactly what her friend was getting at. "I'll test the child out and find out if it is him. There is really nothing we can do for Sean, except keep him warm and wait. He might come back. Then again he might not. I would wait it out and see. Jack why don't you get him something warmer to wear and you guys change him, Sun Cat come with me for a bit. We will be back with some more blankets." Sun Cat shot her a 'what for' look. Martha widened her eyes at the woman. Sun Cat realized then that Martha was telling her that Jack need to be alone for a bit with Sean and Ralph was the only other person he needed around at this moment.
"Right, I'll go sit with Peter a bit. Poor lamb will need some company." The doctors exited as Ralph began to go through the drawers for something warmer.
Jack just stood by the bed looking at the lifeless body of his lover and wondered what to do next.
In the days that followed, Hope and the surrounding areas began to dry out. It was soon learned that the world had suffered at the same time the devastating rain that Hope had experienced and it stopped at the same moment Sean showed up in the bed of Jack's cottage. The World was confused at the phenomenon and decided that it was some kind of global sign that the World needed to unite to help each other out. The death toll due to flooding and its aftermath was high. But it was needed as part of the cleansing in the eyes of some. Help came from all over and a united front formed. The World began to talk and share again. Within three days after the rains that seemed to wash all the sins away, the World was healing and its inhabitants were starting to understand and show compassion again to its neighbors.
A World council was formed and it was met with cheers. The damage the 456 caused was reversed and a World Order was formed. All nations were welcomed and treated equally. No one knew that it would completely heal all, for the trials weren't over. In twenty years it would begin again. But for now…
Jack sat and read the paper to Sean as he stared up at the ceiling. Try as they might, they could not get his eyelids to shut. So he would stare unseeing wherever they turned him to. Sun Cat suggested he get turned twice a day to prevent bedsores. Also he was bathed and changed often. Though without sweat or any other bodily secretions, they didn't use soap for fear of drying the skin. Jack would apply lotion that Hope produced from local plants to rub on Sean's skin.
Jack would use these moments to tell Sean stories of things he had seen or done. He even told him about his childhood, which he realized despite what happen to Gray was actually amusing.
"My little brother was no different from any other little brother. Sean, he used to get into such trouble, somehow I would get the blame. I didn't mind, he was my brother; I was just fulfilling my older brother requirements. But one day our neighbor, what was his name? Mean guy always yelled at us for anything. That was it, Mr. Rowlines. Sean, this was a classic, Gray painted his house one night, he was what 6 I think, with all these negative words that were in another lanuage and would be very hard to get right in English. So lets say he had a colorful vocabulary and a very storng will for a six year old. Of course since I was the one to have it out with the old man the day before I ended up being blamed for it. I got stuck painting the house again.
"My Dad knew it was Gray; he was covered head to toe in paint. But I took the punishment. My Dad asked me why. I just said it was what we do for the ones we love. After that Gray was watched more closely and he was the one punished for his trespasses. There I think we can put your clothes on and turn you to the left for tonight." Jack put the clothes back on Sean and gently turned the stiff form. He made him comfortable and wrapped him in the blankets.
Jack stared at Sean for a good five minutes before he excused himself. He told his lifeless lover that he had to talk to the others for a bit. Elaine's grove was acting up for some reason. Smoothing Sean's hair away from his eyes, he kissed his head and turned the lamp down a little.
He didn't see the right pinky twitch under the blanket.
Five Days later:
The kitchen was the Hub for conversation at the moment. Every familiar face was visible except for Gwen and Rhys who had returned to Cardiff that morning to make arrangements for the move to Hope. Since Sean's return, the Machine was back on line. They could use the Portal devices to travel and transport the Hub back to the new location in Hope. Keeping with tradition, the construction began on stabilizing some old mining shafts that were near Hope. The new Torchwood 3, 3.2 Jack kept calling it, was not breaking with the tradition of being underground. The entrance looked just like the landscape around the countryside.
Upon Jack's request Paula started to build the invisible lift. She was hooked on the project after spending many hours with Jack going over the details he retained of it. They formed quite a bond in the days that they talked. Her mind was rather intense and bright when she was entrenched in a project.
She would come to sit with Sean as well. They would talk with him lying there. Somewhere Jack knew his lover was trying to get back if only so he could yell at them to be quiet as he was asleep.
"I can see him saying that, Jack. He would be joking of course!" She moved her gaze to Sean lying on his back staring up at the ceiling.
Jack wasn't smiling.
Paula went to reach for the Immortal, thought better of it, excusing herself instead; she had a lot of work to do. "And I blame you for this!" She winked at him causing him to a last smile.
The kitchen was becoming the best place to keep the projects at hand moving. They had the tent with the Machine that would forever be advanced. The groups such as Tracy and Harry that were popping up around the world trying to make heads or tails of the events that the storm did to the earth. They noticed that the environment was healthier. Air quality had improved, as well as the abundant growth of plant life after the rains. This was being studied with further research. But they were being careful not to tip their hand with the other World groups that were running around trying to prove their theories to why this was happening.
Mickey was laughing at the end of the table by the time Tracy got done with her story of popping in to the men's room by mistake at one of the Security Council meetings that UNIT had put together. It wouldn't have been so bad except that there were a few diplomats and military types in there when she stepped out of the stall.
They blinked at her and she smiled adjusting her pants in front, and in her deepest voice possible, warned the others not to use the toilet for a bit, it needed to air. With that said, she strolled out in the guise of a female impersonator.
"No thanks to you, Mickey Smith! I told you that you had me nowhere near the proper location." Wagging her finger at him she scolded.
He fell off the chair laughing. When he regained his composure he told what was up with the Machine. "The problem we have been seeing the most is the proper place for the portals to open. Even with the precision in the handheld device, our errors are many. We didn't have this with Sean." The room was silent. "Hey, I know it is hard to talk about him when he is laying above us like he is. But he wouldn't have left us the means to continue unless he saw this as a possibility. He said to Phil once, I hope you don't mind me saying this to the others Phil, I know you told me in confidence." Phil shook his head. "He said 'I need you all far more then you need me.' What I think he was trying to say, that he is giving us the science, the idea, the method what ever you want to call it and we are to make it possible. From going over the past five months of records with the Machine, he did push himself a lot for all of you to find the answers. I think he needed for us to make this work without him."
"Because he sees himself as the last of his kind, well he didn't know of Tina then, at the beginning. I can see the need, the desire to make sure that we can stand on our feet without him. After reading and studying the documents Torchwood retrieved from the Institute sites, I have a pretty good understanding about where he has been leading us. Sean is healing the world. It was his creator's decision to make him against the gain of the wishes of the Institute. Liam was a pawn, and Paul was the one they really should have worked on, but he had failings. His genetics despite the change, let him age rapidly. Meaning every time he used his abilities to harm, he was slowly bringing himself to death." Alice added to the group.
"So what he did to Liam must have put a toll on him. But Sean was forced to kill, and then Paul would wipe his mind. Sean didn't age, he would recover, and it must have been the mind wipes and the repulsion to the act of killing that was making him sick. But somehow the walls they built up began to fall. Is that what he has been going through these past months?" Jack thought about this trying to see if he missed anything. "So his Creator must have put a failsafe in Sean to prevent aging. He would shake it off in illness. Paul must have been too evil from the beginning for him to think of sparing Paul." He remembered the asshole who worked for UNIT and nodded his head yes.
"As we put it together we can see how each piece fits. I think that Sean would like that we see what he sees. That Paul is gone and the world is heading forward again, let us thank Sean for that. May he'll come back to us soon." It was Rodger that spoke, causing the others to listen to their leader's words. The Torchwood members listened to him and nodded.
"Well let's get back to this discussion, it is getting late. We have to concentrate tomorrow on the mosaic effect by Elaine's tomb. It is neither an opening nor shutting portal. It is as if something else opened up. But it is where new Eden is. Or for all we know was. Did anyone know what Sean planned for his fight with Paul? It would help, I could try to track the energy and put the parts together." Phil turned towards Jack.
"Sorry my friend, he just left. I didn't get much time to ask and even if I did he wouldn't have told me. He said we needed something to talk about when he got back. He really isn't in a talkative mood at the moment." Jack frowned licking his lips.
The room grew quiet as they all went into their own thoughts. Rita broke the silence saying it was late and tomorrow was a busier day than normal. The group then disbanded leaving Alice, Andy and Jack in the kitchen. Jack started to clean up the cups and plates from the cake Helen left earlier. Alice watched.
"Dad, I'll do that, why don't you go up and be with Sean." She was worried because Jack was very quiet tonight.
"You're sure, I mean… I don't mind doing the dishes. His Da is with him anyway."
"Jack just go, I'll help Alice, I have to get use to that role once we're married, anyway." Andy put his arm around the former Mrs. Carter's waist and pulled her close.
Despite Jack's mood he smiled warmly at the couple. "I'm happy for both of you." He kissed his daughter, handing her the dishtowel, shook Andy's hand and headed upstairs. From the other room they heard. "Oh Andy, you call me Dad and I will cripple you!" He wished he saw the terror that appeared on the ex PC's face.
Jack climbed the stairs listening to Peter's voice soothingly read to his son.
"'God made the Hare and the Bengali. What a shame?' said Kim quoting the proverb.
"It was process of Evolution, from Primal Necessity…" Peter trailed off as the creak in the boards made him focus on Jack standing in the door.
"Is that Kipling's Kim? I didn't think I had a copy of it here. I met him once in India. Or was it Vermont?" Jack made a face as he bit his lip and tried to remember.
"I found the book on the shelf downstairs. I started reading Sean the story when he was doing the Chemo treatments. The thing is I never understood Kipling's writing, but for some reason Sean loved it. I thought that if I read it to him, he might find his way home. At least it made me feel better." The old man stood moving his back around to remove the kinks. He marked the page with a piece of paper and put the book down on the dresser before he left.
"Night, Jack." He said while the man stood in the doorway. It was then they reached for each other and hugged. It was brief but enough to share sorrow.
"Sleep well, Peter." Jack let the man pass and went to the bed. He turned Sean on his side to face towards the window. "This way you can see the sun when it comes up. I can hold you as well." He removed his clothes and got into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Cuddling up next to Sean's cold form, he went to sleep.
Early in the morning, Sean struggled to get out of Jack's vice like grip. "Jack let go, I have to pee!" Jack mumbled something like "then go" before he flipped himself over facing the other way. Sean sighed wiping the sleep out of his eyes and left for the bathroom. His growling stomach led him to the kitchen were he found some chocolate cake. Eyes watering, he ate without a folk by picking up pieces of the cake and shoving it into his mouth. Stuffing his face, he heard pounding down the stairs and Jack shouting something. His Da entered the kitchen to the chocolate covered face of his son. Jack pushed his way in to see Sean standing there with a chocolate smile.
Laughing at his lover with relief he walked over to the pitcher and poured a cool glass of milk. Sean took it while finishing off the cake. He still didn't understand why as the rest of the room filled with others that stayed in the house. Or why they were just smiling and looking at him with joy.
All he could muster during the gulps of milk was a "What?"
Just then the sun came up over the hills signaling a new day.
End Chapter 38 TBC