13
Ianto woke and staggered from the bed to wander through the camper to the coffee machine, flicking it on as he cursed the thing not being on already.
"Eve? Did you unplug my bloody coffee machine again?" he roared looking into the awning area where his daughter sat playing with her little toy cars. She ignored him of course. Stupid question. Of course she did. Had to charge her tablet….DUH… so much like her father.
He sighed and stepped outside as he waited for it to come to the boil and make elixir, walking past her dirt track she made for her little toy motorbike to reach far trees to pee. No need to fill the tank if he doesn't have to right? He looked around the little clearing he had found in the woods and smiled to himself as he lingered for the birdsong and enjoyed the morning breeze reminding him that he was only in his shorts. He made a mental note to send some updated photos to Jack of Eve with her little plastic motorbike she could ride like a demon… the pictures and small things he sent via fake email addresses always relieved by Mainframe and passed on. He wondered if Jack looked at them, hoped he saw himself in their child. God… he missed him still, even if the smell on that shirt in the snap-lock bag was fading. Each photo with not markers or distinguishing backgrounds, he was sure the little face grinning up was the most important thing…. Still alive… still here… still OK. I love you. I miss you. I am so sorry. Ianto sighed as he rubbed his face. He had seen a flash of him the night before on a newsfeed, striding past behind the reporter and he had looked…. Good.
"Tadda" Eve called, her little three year old voice warning him she was not happy and he turned as he blinked away traitorous tears to find something standing there regarding him that was clearly NOT from around here.
"Bugger" he said softly as he raised his hands to show they were empty, he then tried some rusty Galactic Standard "Friendly. No worries."
It regarded him, then turned it's head to the child inside the mesh. Then it tined and started to walk back into the trees as Ianto let out his breath and he motioned for Eve to get inside, slowly walking towards her as he tried not to look back at the thing he knew was still watching him "Inside love, there we go. It's OK now."
The faint sound of sirens filtered on the breeze and he cursed, now inside and slicing the chords to the awning as the thing bellowed at the sound and took off in the trees. "fuck … fuck…fuck… a Dorvit. Fucking Dorvit… how the hell did that get here, so far from a rift flare… fuck."
"Tadda?"
"It's OK love, it's not going to hurt us in here, can't open doors" Ianto said as he raked his brain for what to do, too scared to go back out to gather up the toys and things so they could leave. "No one can see us in here, not from the road."
"But he can" she pointed out the back window and Ianto turned his head to look at the man standing there with his head canted to one side.
Ianto opened the door and stepped out to stare the man who was now slowly walking towards him, two others following at a distance "Hello there... did you see a big purple rhino stumble through here?"
"A Dorvit. Yes, he was a bit pissy" Ianto relied "Hello Doctor."
The Doctor frowned, then pointed a finger "Mister Jones! From Torchwood… my my. Fancy seeing you here."
"Retied" Ianto said firmly, "It went that way."
"Right" he turned as if to follow it then he looked back at Ianto "You know… I am not the one you knew."
"I know… two more faces since then?"
"Three actually… believe it or not, the last one was a woman. Yeah… I quite liked that… liberating." The Doctor grinned "But you knew it was me straight away didn't you!"
"Sonic screwdriver" Ianto pointed out "And River had a lipstick one."
"Ah" the Doctor frowned "Met her did you? When? No... wait… don't' tell me. Spoilers."
Eve had slid around the doorframe as they talked and the Doctor had lowered the screwdriver to his side so Ianto did not notice until it made a noise and the Doctor lifted it with interest to examine, Ianto staring back with horror to find Even there.
"Well now... that IS interesting" the doctor said to himself as he looked at the child, then Ianto "really… I did warn him about spreading his oats ya know but he is such a free spirit. Has been looking for you though, reluctant to even go on a little trip with me, scared he might miss a chance to see another bit of her…. Eve. Right? My, he really should keep it in his pants."
"He's not part of this" Ianto said as he motioned Eve back with a calm hand wave "We don't' talk anymore."
"Pity. Last time I saw him he told me you were the love of his life. He said he had done something to scare you and you left him high and dry. Morosely sobbing into his hypervodka as he told me you would not speak to him. Seemed most bereft." The Doctor shared as he pursed his lips "If I have learnt one thing in my time… my hundreds of years flitting about… it is that time… waits for no man and you might be able to change given the time to but time will never change for you. Make the most of what you have young man. And as for that one… she has the look of her father to her so sooner or later... that will come to a head. Either way."
"I know" Ianto sighed as he glanced back "I just want one more day.. always one more day before I hand her to him and … well… kneel."
"Why do you think that is your only option?" the Doctor laughed as he shook his head "You apes think so one dimensionally don't you. You're the giver of life, the provider of his child… you seriously think he could possibly hurt you? For one, his child would never forgive him and he would never risk her little heart to break over losing you. She needs you, even if he is angry with you for this... he would never hurt you. All those who have run from him with children know this, for he always gave them all he could when they would accept it even knowing they would never let him see the child. His saddest truth. He is not allowed to be a father because he is a freak. But I thought you were different Mister hone… of all those who have lived in his orbit… you know full well that he would NEVER harm you. It is yourself you still punish, not him."
Ianto watched the doctor wander off and wondered if he was right.
All this time running from Jack… he was running from his own truth?
He feared not being good enough to keep him?