"We're going to fly planet earth back home." The doctor declared. Earth had been saved. But most importantly the Daleks had - once again- been defeated. He only hoped it would stay that way. Together as Team TARDIS, they brought earth safely back to its own orbit. The yells, the screams, the declarations of joy pierced through the air as they began hugging one another in a way of celebration. That's when it happened.
"Who's the lucky girl?" Joyous Donna asked him when she let go of him. It became dead silent all of a sudden and all eyes went to them.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Well, the ring, who's the lucky girl that you're married to?" She said pointing towards the ring on his right hand. The simple golden band suddenly stood out and made him a little uncomfortable. Not that he was ashamed of marrying Ianto. It was just that he forgot to tell anyone outside of the team. His cheeks coloured as the doctor - the original you might say - walked up towards him.
"Uhmmmm…. Well…." He started to stutter.
"Oh my, Captain Jack at a loss for words?" Came Rose's voice.
"Jack? Are you okay?" The doctor asked him quite seriously, the doctor's hand made its way towards the captain's forehead but Jack whacked it away just in time.
" I'm fine… everything's fine!" He answered and took a step back before the doctor could try and take his temperature again.
" So… who are you married to?" Mickey popped up from the other side of the room, right next to Jackie, who was watching him approvingly.
"Well.. uhm.. you don't really know him.." he said trying to leave the conversation at what it was.
"Come on Jack, tell us," Martha said, she looked quite cross, but she probably already knew who it was as she'd been with them a little over a year ago.
"Alright, it's Ianto." He declared.
" I knew it!" Martha shouted, but the others were more along the line of " who is Ianto?"
"You mean the Ianto Jones we just saw on the screen, from Torchwood?" Rose asked quietly but was the first to come and congratulate him.
"Yes," he simply said, quickly letting them know which Ianto he was talking about.
"Congratulations, I'm really glad you found someone!" Rose said and took him into one of her bear hugs, the ones she had especially for her close friends and family. He squeezed her tiny figure for a second, glad that she was alive and well. And even more glad that she had accepted -a long time ago - that he liked more than just girls. After Rose, there came more congratulations, but there was one man who was still watching him with a stony -but also a bit worried - face.
" Doctor! Come and congratulate Jack!" Donna's bossy voice told him, this snapped the timelord out of his trans, a wary smile appeared on his face as he took Jack's hand and shook it.
" I'm really glad you know, I just never thought this day would happen." The doctor began to babble.
" Well, some time-agents marry office boys, get over it, doctor." He said adding one of his smirks to the mix. He was kind of relieved that everyone took this the right way. Hopefully, they'd take the other news just as well, but if he knew the doctor at all -and he thought he rather did - then the timelord wouldn't be so pleased with the other news.
"Tell me all about it!" Rose said at his side. Her smile was one out of millions, and he wouldn't want to trade her friendship for the world. Some agreements came and eventually, he was forced to tell them about how and why he had married Ianto Jones, extraordinary.
" Well… uhm soon after Martha left, we uhm… well I found out I was pregnant." He exclaimed and waited for the rage, the laughter, or whatever else to happen. It was silent as everyone except the doctor looked quite shocked that he would be able to get up the duff.
"Long story short, A few months ago I gave birth to twin girls, Rose Mari Jones-Harkness and Carys Betrys Jones-Harkness. Only a week later when we were having a romantic dinner, he asked me to marry me. And as Torchwood is a place people die young we decided to marry with just the team present a few days later. It might've been a bit rushed, but I don't regret anything." He exclaimed smiling from cheek to cheek. His love for Ianto was indescribably big. No word in existence could describe how much he really loved the Welshman. And his heart would've broken if he'd lost him today. Heck, he would've lost everything if the Daleks had found a way to infiltrate the hub, their girls had been sleeping peacefully in his office when all hell broke loose.
"JACK HARKNESS HAS A FAMILY?!" The doctor proclaimed. He was probably the most shocked of all, the others watched him like this was the most natural thing in the world.
"Yeah, so what?" He asked, confused as to what the doctor was trying to ask.
"Oh my god, Jack Harkness has gone domestic!" The time lord declared, freaking out.
"Well, that's what Ianto does to you." He exclaimed dreamily. He really wanted to get back to his family. Check if everything was alright and snuggle up to Ianto while he tried to sleep for the night. If this was domestic then life couldn't get any better.
"Let's go and see those beautiful babies of yours. I have this urge to cuddle some cute babies!" Donna declared, so off they went.
Ianto wasn't in the least surprised when the TARDIS materialised inside the hub and out flew his husband. He gratefully accepted the fierce hug Jack had engulfed him in.
"Are you okay?" He asked seriously, Jack looked tired but most of all it seemed like he'd died. Probably more than once. His hand found its way towards his immortal husband's face where he wiped away some smudges.
"I'm fine, I'm just a bit tired. How are you and the girls?" He asked, watching the familiar space around him. Gwen was nowhere to be seen, so he figured she'd gone home to Rhys.
"I'm fine, a bit shaken but fine. You know I think we have to watch out, someday I think the girls are going to take over from us working for Torchwood. They slept through it all, only started crying when the earth started to violently shake." He said.
" Are they awake? There are some people who want to meet them." For a few seconds jealousy took over Ianto's mind, but then he remembered. The doctor wasn't anyone to be jealous about.
"They're in the playpen, making noises to each other in their own kind of language." He said and stepped out of Jack's embrace. Let them come, he thought. Let them come and meet them. Jack grinned once before pecking him on the lips. He ran back towards the TARDIS doors and opened them wide. He could just see the interior and how the big wooden box seemed much bigger on the inside when people started to walk out. He could see Martha in the mass of people. So luckily there was one person in the mix who he knew. A kind woman with an older face walked up towards him.
" And you must be Ianto, congratulations, I'm very glad for you." She said smiling at him.
"I'm sorry but you are?" He asked her politely.
"Sorry, I'm Sarah Jane Smith. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." He told her before she moved on and lots of other people introduced and congratulated him. Donna, Mickey, Jackie, the doctor, another doctor - who looks exactly like him, he needs to ask Jack about that - Martha and maybe most importantly Rose. The woman that had captivated Jack's heart in a completely other way than he'd captivated Jack's heart. The woman that had rescued him. He'd heard all about Jack's con-life and how the doctor and Rose had basically rescued him from the inevitable.
"So you are the infamous Rose Tyler. Nice to finally meet you." He said, shaking her hand.
"Yeah, I would say I've wanted to meet you for a long time but I only knew of your existence since today. Sorry." Her apology wasn't really necessary but still thoughtful and nice.
"Ah doesn't matter, well let me see where Jack went and find out if the girls are still awake." He knew perfectly well that they'd all come out of the TARDIS for little Rose and Carys. Jack had disappeared as soon as people had walked into his hub and started demanding all of the Welshman's attention. Walking inside Jack's office he found his husband hanging above the playpen, watching their girls, tickling them and smiling at their cute little faces.
"So that's where you went. I was wondering if you fled." He joked as he walked closer to Jack's side. He could feel the tension in the air, something was wrong and Jack wasn't telling him. Standing next to Jack - almost flush against him - he moved his left arm up and wrapped it around the captain's torso. A sigh escaped the immortal's lips as he leaned more on Ianto's frame.
"Tell me what is wrong," Ianto whispered into Jack's ear. It wasn't like the others would hear them with the door closed but it somehow felt better, when he whispered the difficult things instead of saying them out loud. In a way, it made it less real when you never talked about something with other people.
"I was so scared for you, for the girls, for Gwen. I was afraid of having to lose someone close yet again."
" Hey, hey, look at me! I'm alive, aren't I? The girls are fine. Gwen is fine. All of us are still in one piece. I can't promise you there won't come a day when you'll have to say goodbye. But that day is certainly not today. And for as long as I'm alive, I will love you with all my heart. Do you remember? To have and to hold. Till death do us part. I meant what I said that day." Ianto watched as a spare tear slipped down his captain's face. With his free hand, he wiped the lonely tear from Jack's chin.
"Why is it that you always know how to make me feel loved. That you know exactly what I need. You are so perfect." He said and brought both his big hands towards the younger man's face.
"No one is perfect, but I try." He whispered and kissed Jack hungrily. He himself had been just as afraid of Jack finding them back, bodies stone-cold, skin an icy blue. One day it would happen, but he hoped it would be a long time before he was forced to say goodbye.
"Ughrm" came from the doorway. Someone had tried to make the sound of clearing his or her throat but hadn't succeeded that well in reproducing the sound. Shocked, he turned around, ashamed that he'd been caught. His cheeks flushed when he found Martha standing in the doorway. He hadn't even noticed that the door had been opened. After some convincing from Martha, they both took one baby in their arms and walked with Martha behind them towards the main part of the hub.
The women swooned, the men gave them a big slap on their shoulders and told them how sweet they were. Mickey and Rose congratulated them about the girls. Asked them about their health, about the birth and how it had been when they'd found out. All in all, it became a beautiful afternoon after they'd rescued earth and humankind from annihilation. Eventually, they said goodbye to everyone. He watched the doctors go and vowed to call the doctor - as he'd asked the doctor's number from Martha. A long and heartbreaking goodbye happened between him and Rose. He was really going to miss her. He knew that she needed to go back to her parallel earth, but one day he would meet her again. One day they would all meet up and have one of their amazing adventures again. With some last goodbyes and promise to see each other soon - for who the possibility existed - the TARDIS dematerialised and disappeared from view.
" It's been a long day. Shall we go home?" Ianto asked after a particular long yawn from across the room.
"Yes, let's." He sighed and hugged the younger man as if his life would end soon.
"You owe me a story," Ianto said quietly, pointing at Jack's chest.
"All in due time, Mr Jones-Harkness." He kissed his husband yet again, he would never be able to get enough and swept him off his feet. He did something naughty, as he knew Ianto didn't like it but spun them both around and with a final quick peck left Ianto standing at his workbench.
He wanted this. This domestic thing. He would always yearn for the adventures, the thrill, but he really liked being a domestic version of himself with Ianto.
Now it was time for home, time for some normalcy, or as far as that could get working for Torchwood.
A/N: This story is part of the Torchwood Bingo fest 2020.
I hope you like it, and please leave a review.
XXXFredAndGeorgeForever