AN: So this is my 3rd attempt at writing this chapter, my laptop deleted it twice :( Life got in the way a bit again, but hoping to get things all back on track again this month, I did get a promotion, although the details of which are currently all up in the air :)
Jack looked around the sitting room that Grandmamma had ushered them into after dinner, it was large enough to hold them all comfortably with room to spare for the other members of Ianto's family that were not with them that evening as well. He glanced quickly at his lover who was sat next to him quietly appearing to be having a silent conversation with himself. Ianto was probably trying to imagine all the various outcomes and scenarios that could play out from this evening, and Jack could only imagine the various ways his mind was torturing him at the moment. He no doubt thought that he would be angry or at least annoyed with him for having kept his families association with the Doctor from him, especially after they had agreed no more secrets between them, but Jack was finding himself more and more immersed in the Addams family and knew why Ianto hadn't said anything.
Having seen the way the Doctor had acted with Grandmamma it was obvious to Jack that she had been a companion of his in one of his many lives, and Jack had a feeling that it wasn't one of the more recent incarnations of him either, but perhaps several versions of him ago. While Grandmamma may have been one of the Doctor's companions, it was plain to see that the Doctor had become one of the Addams family somehow and there was nothing that Ianto's family wouldn't do to protect their own. Jack grabbed Ianto's hand giving it a small squeeze, trying to let him know that they were okay as they heard the sound of the Doctor's current companion talking a mile a minute on their way into the room.
Rhys had been given the task of showing the Doctor exactly where he could park the TARDIS that wasn't going to be in the way or cause any damage to the Addams grounds. He was now leading the Doctor and Donna back to the rest of them and it seemed that the redhead had found her voice and was currently telling Rhys something about the interior of the TARDIS by the sounds of it. Jack supposed she was saving the questions she had until they were all together again as he could tell she had a lot and that she wouldn't be silenced for long.
She took a seat next to Rhys although she did stop speaking to him long enough to thank Lurch for the drink he put in her hand, the tall man gliding almost effortlessly round the room providing them all with drinks and then sort of moulding himself into the wall closest to the door to watch events transpire. She stopped talking completely when Grandmamma started to do introductions, introducing the Doctor to the Welsh Addams' by way of their parents. When she reached Rhiannon and Ianto, giving both their public and Addams names Jack saw the Doctor make the connection in his mind.
"Ianto Jones?" He blurted out, staring between Jack and Ianto for a moment, before bounding over to shake Ianto's hand much to Jack's lovers bemusement. "Always wanted to shake the hand of the man who could tame Jack Harkness, that you are an Addams makes it make much more sense, you lot are all extraordinary."
It was obvious to Jack at this point that Donna was not going to sit on her questions much longer, the amused look that Rhys sent him let him know that the other man had figured it out as well and the two of them shared a conspiratory grin as the redhead started with her questions.
"Oi, Spaceman." Donna began, "I want an explanation here, you said dinner and refuelling, not crashing someone's family gathering old friend or not, that's rude space boy."
"Donna was it?" Grandmamma asked, a slight chill in her voice. "The Doctor is family, he is always welcome in any Addams residence at any time. He may be the oldest of my friends, but he gave us a precious member of our family and due to the link they share he will always be family."
A harsh rap on the table that Jack had come to associate with Thing wanting someone's attention drew their eyes in his direction. Thing had obviously been trying to get the Doctor's attention though as he seemed to be having a rapid conversation with the Doctor that even Jack was unable to follow. He was slightly surprised, especially as the TARDIS was on the grounds of the manor and she would usually help where his own language skills failed. The signs that Thing was making and the Doctor was answering him with were quite frankly beyond Jack's knowledge and that the TARDIS was unwilling to translate startled him, the only language she had done that with before had been Gallifreyan, the language of the Time Lords.
Jack's world shifted slightly on its axis as the pieces began to fit together for him. He looked from Thing and the Doctor to Ianto and back before turning to Ianto and whispering in a strangled tone. "Thing! I kept Thing in a jar."
At Ianto's nod of confirmation he sagged a little in his seat, while he had expected it he had hoped that his mind was making illogical leaps. The very thought that he had kept someone locked up like Emily and Alice had done to him at the very start of his career with Torchwood sickened him and he rushed to apologise. The whole thought of the idea had unsettled and rattled him so much that he had even fallen back on Galactic Standard Sign Language, it coming much more naturally to him than the current versions on Earth. Luckily Thing could understand him even if most of the rest of the occupants of the room were struggling, they were of Addams stock and knew that it was a private conversation anyway so had turned away for the most part to give them an illusion of privacy.
Jack could feel his lovers' eyes on him though, watching to make sure he was ok without intruding. It was an odd feeling, being so cared for, both by Ianto and by his family who Jack was easily coming to consider his own. The Addams family was so accepting of everything that happened in the world, they may not like it and might fight fire and brimstone against things that impacted them but they accepted things as they were, a trait so rare this early in history. He had seen how they treated the Doctor and Jack knew without a doubt that the alien would be able to turn up in any Addams household at any point in the future, whether in Grandmamma's lifetime, or many centuries later and still be accepted as family, and he was beginning to hope the same for himself. He would lose Ianto eventually, but maybe he could carry on being Uncle Jack for Micah and David, and then down their family lines, be part of the Addams family into the future.
A squeeze to his leg brought the flurry of movement that was his hands to a stop, even partially lost in his own thoughts he had continued to ramble his apologies to Thing. Thing approached him, trying to reassure him that he held no grudges about it and if Jack was understanding him correctly asking for the exact chemical formula of the liquid Jack had kept him in. The fist bump and the slap on the back were unexpected, but went a long way to telling Jack that he was forgiven.
Recovering his composure a bit, still horrified that he had kept an entity he had come to consider family in a jar as nothing more than a homing beacon of sorts, but heartened that Thing didn't hold it against him Jack turned to Fester hoping that he would have an explanation for him. The mad scientist would surely know why Thing wanted the formula for the liquid that he was kept in, "Thing wants the formula for the liquid from the jar he was in? Or am I getting it wrong?"
Fester seemed to get excited at the prospect of talking science with someone new and began explaining that while he had certainly tried over the years he had never been able to get the formula just right for Thing, the feeling was never quite the same. Thing had explained to him in the past the way that the liquid had made his nerves feel and he had tried to recreate it, but had never succeeded. Jack was bemused by the whole situation, but as a hedonist himself he couldn't deny that he too would want to recapture a feeling if it made him feel good. With those thoughts in mind Jack turned back to the conversation in the rest of the room, vowing to himself to get Thing the best apology gift basket of some gloves and the chemical formula that he wanted.