9
Gwen is pushing her cart in the supermarket. Owen sits in it, pulling things off the shelves. On automatic she's putting them back.
"Mommy, if your real name's Gwen and I call you mommy; and Ianto's real name's Ianto...Then when I see him do I say hi Stepdad? Or … coz he's Welsh like you … is it Taddy? And if my name's Owen, how come you don't call me son?"
Gwen is lost in thought "Thursday's fine..."
Frustrated, Owen climbs out of the cart and trails behind Gwen. He reaches for an apple off the BOTTOM of a huge display of Red Delicious, and the whole thing comes tumbling down. Shaken, she looks around for Owen. He's gone.
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Gwen is with a Store Manager and a Policeman stand at the front of the store near the Bakery. Gwen is totally distraught. "I looked away for one second...Just one second...he's...he's..."
"How would you describe him?" the officer asks calmly, no doubt used to this.
"He's my son! He looks like his father!" Gwen is beside herself, almost incoherent "His name is Owen – he answers to Harry …"
"Is he wearing a red shirt?" The manager points to the frozen food bin. There, lying on his back atop dwindling stores of ice cream...is Owen. Hands and beaming face pressed to the underside of the glass.
Gwen does the only reasonable thing... 'YYYAAAAAAAHHH!' ...and FLINGS OPEN Snow White's glass coffin. "ARE YOU CRAZY, YOU COULD SUFFOCATE IN THERE!"
"Nope. I got my warm t-shirt."
Enough of a non-sequitur to make everybody blink, before Gwen yanks him roughly and tenderly from the bin. She crushes him in a violent, desperate hug...
"You found me cause I'm your priority, huh?" he asks with a wide grin of satisfaction.
She kisses him fiercely. At the edge of tears. Whispers "You got that right."
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SOCCER FIELD - 3 O'CLOCK PRACTICE
Jack coaching the girl's team. Toshiko one of many who surround him for that final word of wisdom "Alright my Little Warriors, remain calm; trust that the ball will find you; remember they're your opponent not your enemies - Now kick MAJOR butt!"
In the bleachers, Gwen sits alone with Ianto. They are having a coaching session of their own. Ianto points down to the field, where...Toshiko pushes her hair over her eyes. "She's gonna trip over her own feet, If she doesn't get her hair out of her eyes."
Gwen casts a sidelong glance at Ianto. Decides to tell him "Pushing her hair over her eyes. Means she's avoiding a confrontation."
Ianto looks over. Really? Gwen decides to share more. Reading Ianto's reaction. "If she's twirling it, she's playing something out in her mind. If she's stopped combing it, she might be depressed..."
As Ianto listens he's unconsciously threading his tie through his fingers. "What about obsessively picking her split ends?"
"Anxiety."
"Last week when she chopped her Barbie's bangs all to hell?"
"She was angry at herself."
"Gwen?"
"Yes?"
"When I fiddle with my tie like this it means I'm intimidated by you"
Gwen gives him the trace of a smile. "I'll keep it in mind, and use it against you."
She looks back down at the game. Ianto watching her profile. Finally he asks "You feeling all right?"
She doesn't turn "Not great. Plus, I've got things on my mind. You know."
Things. Ianto doesn't know. Blurts "Are you...seeing someone?"
Gwen snorts a laugh. In spite of herself. "Yeh, that does tend to make me sick to my stomach. Actually, I'm, uh... Thinking. Deciding if this is the time to say...thinking of going back to Random House. On a part-time basis."
"Wowie." Ianto smiles "How wonderful!"
But Gwen still hasn't turned. Eyes glued to Toshiko, racing around with determination. "Well, I could do most of it from home. But, while I'm working it out with the head editor, I'd need to..."
Sighs. Boy, this is tough. Tries for matter-of-fact "...make some trips into the city. Sometimes, overnight."
"Hey, any help you need, we'll cover." Ianto says instantly.
Gwen nods. Appreciates that. But she still hasn't turned to look Ianto in the eye.
"Uh." Ianto frowns "Have you told Jack and the ki..."
"Let's...hold up for a bit. It may not happen. Our secret, okay?"
A little strange. Particularly the hardness of Gwen's eyes. Ianto watching her. Something's up. He nods softly "Sure, if you like."
Gwen looks away now. To the playground just beyond the bleachers. Kids rise swings, clamber over a jungle gym. But her eyes are routinely, automatically, zeroing in on one single kid...who is climbing his way UP a tall SLIDE. Crouched over as he inches up the shiny metal surface, using the side rails.
"Careful crazy man" Gwen mutters. Ianto follows Gwen's eyes, just as... Owen reaches the top and STANDS UP, hands OVER his head, Gwen's breath catching, Owen totters once and... FALLS fast, hitting the grass with a thump we can hear, lying crumpled, motionless, as our two Welshies... SPRING up as one, SCRAMBLING down the bleachers, RUNNING toward sprints him, CLOSING on the child, as he rolls over grasping his leg, and Ianto reaching him first...some instinct makes him hold back, let Gwen RUSH past him, to kneel at Owen's side. She lifts her baby in her arms. His pants are torn, his leg is bleeding.
His own concern "I can still go to Tucker's party, right?"
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EMERGENCY ROOM
A full house of walk-ins with assorted needs, none of which appear to require George Clooney on an urgent basis. Across the room, an irritated Gwen finishes the last of the paperwork at the nurses station. Exchanges a less-than-pleasantry with the less-than-helpful duty nurse, and heads off through the crowd, DOWN a hallway, TURNS a corner, to see Jack standing by a doorway. Smiling, as he gazes into a hospital room.
Gwen comes to his side, looks in. Owen doesn't see them. His back is turned, as he talks to Ianto, who sits on the side of his bed, feeding him the pudding he got from a vending machine.
"...for Christmas, okay? Every magician needs a white dove, a real one, they do!" Owen is demanding.
"Well, that's a long way off, sweetie." Ianto croons "We'll talk to Mom and Dad..."
"Dad! You can talk him into anything!"
Unseen by the two, Jack grins. Then, Owen snuggles into Ianto's arms and kisses him. Gwen stares.
Ianto starts singing softly "'In the still...still of the ni-ight...I held you... held you so ti-ight'...take it, man..."
Owen joins in, singing softly "Doo-wop-doo-doo, doo-wop-doo-doo..."
Gwen stands there. Her eyes are difficult to read. But she sure is watching.
Jack whispers softly "Nice, huh?"
She steps back. Looks him in the eye. "It is. It's about time."
He gives her a goofy give-me-a-break face. She twists the corner of a smile.
Ianto's a charmer, you'll see." Jack whispers "In fifty years, the kids'll love him ten percent as much as they love you."
"Stop." Gwen snorts "You're making me insecure."
Now they're smiling at each other. In the old way. A nice moment for them.
"You changed your hair." Jack suddenly blurts.
And we notice. It does look different. "It's temporary."
Jack grins "It's good. You're not pulling a mid-life crisis on us, are you?"
Her look holds. An odd extra beat. "Not the term I'd use."
He glances back through the doorway "You want us to take him tonight? Give you some private time with Toshi..."
"Never stand between that kid and a meatball" Gwen warns.
"Yet another spaghetti night." Jack teases.
"Yeh, better I should force-feed him burnt lamb and...couscous, was it he made him? Boy, kids go wild for that." Gwen rolls her eyes as the last meal Owen complained about Ianto had made.
"I'll drop him at Tucker's party Saturday, if one of you guys can pick him up. I have to go into the City." She pats him on the shoulder and breezes by him into the room. Owen wheels to see her do she asks "You know what happens to spaghetti when it waits around for you too long?"
He really thinks. Actually "No."
"Pray. We never find out." She fake growls.
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A door with balloons opens. Stacy, the birthday boy's mom, stands there - children running behind her in party hats, all with their, conservatively dressed SUBURBAN MOMS. Ianto's attire a sharp contrast.
"Hi, I'm here to pick up Owen."
"Does Gwen know this?"
"No. I'm doing it behind her back." Ianto deadpans.
"In seven years Gwen's never missed one of Tucker's parties." Stacy frowns "Where is she?"
"Something came up. C'mon Owen!" Ianto calls out "I've got a shoot at three..."
"Tucker hasn't opened Owen's present yet - it won't be too much longer."
Ianto eyes the mound of presents yet to be opened.
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45 minutes later...Ianto, in a pointed party hat, sits schmushed on the couch in between all the other MOTHERS. A black suit stranger in a strange peach land. He eyes that mound of presents. Not even a dent.
He pulls out his cell phone, moves towards the hallway. "Hey Andy...pull a number 64 steel blue gel on the back light...yeah I'm on my way but..."
A piece of CAKE FLIES through the air and LANDS on Ianto.
Stacy scolds "Now Owen, let Tucker play with his Bat cave..."
Owen won't let go of Tucker's presents. Tucker tries to take it. Owen is adamant. Ianto reaches for him, tousling his hair.
"Hey Owen-boy - chill." he shimmies away from him as Ianto turns back to the phone "He's there already? No I don't want to talk to him - Duncan? How are you..."
The mothers are all too aware of Ianto on the phone. Two kids shoot water guns - Ianto gets drenched. Owen pulls at the toys "I want it!"
"Owen I know you're angry and confused but it's Tucker's birthday party." Stacy squeaks as Owen and Tucker fight for it - the mothers all look to Ianto.
"Owen" Ianto barks, then croons into phone "Duncan I'm aware of that - Goddamn it Owen! Let go of it. NOW!"
He stares at him. It looks like he's gonna let go - the mothers are impressed, not to mention surprised. Then Owen suddenly hurls the toy onto the floor shattering it! A horrible SILENCE falls over the room.
Broken only by the sound of Duncan SCREAMING from inside the phone. "Ianto...This is a big bloody account -If you don't show up in five minutes..."
Ianto takes Owen and leads him into another room.
"Owen I'm sorry. It's been a hard day. Now would you do us both a favour and take this phone and..." he SLAMS the phone SHUT. Hands it to Owen. "...make it disappear."
"Okay." He SHOVES it down the front of his pants. The peach moms are taken aback. Ianto nods, you got it. Delighted, Owen turns, scampers off, as...his pants start RINGING. He stops dead. Looks down at them. Still RINGING. He turns around and waddles delicately back to Ianto, as if he's carrying nitro in his shorts.
he holds out his hand "Break out the Geiger counter, the man is radio-active!"
Owen pulls the ringing phone from his pants. he grasps it without hesitation, while peach moms wince in disgust. SNAPS it open. "Get over it, Dunc..."
Stops "...whoa, whoa, Toshi..."
Listens. While everybody watches. "Could it be, maybe...anywhere else? Like...another galaxy would be more convenient."
Listening, listening. Everybody really watching. Even Owen. Ianto oblivious croons gently "Okay, don't cry. Flunking science is not happening."
Then he adds "Not on my watch."