Martha was getting more and more uncomfortable by the day now. Her stomach was swelling due to both her advanced pregnancy and due to the growth that was rapidly increasing in size. Jack had forced her into taking her maternity leave although she was still visiting the hub for Owen to check her out. The baby wasn't due for another month yet but Martha knew she wasn't going to make it that far, when Owen had checked her last week he told her the growth was now dangerously close to the placenta. Martha was still staying with Tosh; she walked into the kitchen to make a drink. Tosh was as usual at the hub but had insisted that Martha wear her earpiece so she could call the team immediately if anything happened. As she waited for the kettle to boil she laid her hands on her stomach.

"Not long now Rhiannon" she whispered

Martha gently eased herself into a chair and sipped her coffee; she smiled as Rhiannon moved inside her. She already knew that Rhiannon was lying with her head down but couldn't engage because the growth was blocking her. She sighed as she looked at her watch. Another 10 minutes and she'd start the 30-minute walk to the hub. It was now mid July and the weather was really warm, so Martha had decided to walk along the bay to the hub.

* * *

Owen was in medical preparing the scanner he was going to use to scan Martha when she arrived. Jack and Ianto were in Jack's office. Jack was talking to the PM while Ianto busied himself with the monthly report on the rift for Torchwood 1. It was also getting close to when Ianto had to return to Torchwood 1 to turn in the budgets for the past year, he also had to have a full physical by the medical team to check his brain wave patterns because he was a grade 1 empath. He wasn't looking forward to it; he had nicknamed the procedure the 21-pin salute because 21 tiny probes were attached to his skull. It didn't hurt, but after the battle at Canary Wharf Ianto could barely cope with the thought of having to return every year to the scene of such carnage. He could feel the left over emotion and raw energy from everyone there. This time, though Jack had promised he would be with him both for support and as his anchor. He sighed as the thought of returning to Torchwood 1 hit him again; he knew Yvonne Hartman was no longer there but many of her cronies were and he hated everything that they stood for.

"Yan, you ok?" asked Jack as he put the phone down and leant back in his chair,

"I'm fine".

"Then why the sigh? Are you bored?" he said, smiling

"No, just thinking" said Ianto

"Can't be anything nice to make you sigh like that" said Jack

"I was just thinking about next month when I have to report back to Torchwood 1."

"Yan, I promise I will be right next to you. I'm not letting you go into that place alone, I've come to close to losing you before and I'll be damned if I'm going to let those goons touch you without me there," he said and flashed a smile at his partner that made him go weak at the knees

"I love you," whispered Ianto as he crossed the office and placed a gentle kiss on Jack's lips, and then moved away before he could respond.

"I love you, too. Now why don't you work some coffee magic?"

Ianto smiled and left Jack's office and walked into the hub.

He was just coming out of the small kitchen area with coffee for everyone when the lift activated.

"Jack, Martha's here," he called.

"Ok, be there in a minute," Jack called from his office.

Ianto handed out the coffees as usual and took Owen's through to the medical room.

"Martha's here," said Ianto as he put the coffee down on the small desk in the corner.

"Right, thanks, Ianto," said Owen not even looking up from the monitor.

Ianto shrugged and left the room. Sometimes Owen actually talked to him like a normal person, but most of the time he didn't even register the fact that he existed.

When Ianto walked back into the hub he found Martha leaning on Tosh's workstation talking to her.

"Hi, Martha. How are you feeling?" he asked

"Just tired," she said, stretching her back

Just then, Jack walked down from his office.

"How you feeling Martha?" he asked, slipping an arm round Ianto's waist.

"I'm okay, just really tired now," she said.

"Ready for the scan?" he asked.

Martha nodded and the three of them walked towards the medical room where Owen was waiting for them.

"Right, Martha, you ready for the scan?" he asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she said as Jack helped her onto the exam table.

Martha lifted her t-shirt and exposed her swollen stomach and Owen began the scan. Firstly, he checked the baby over.

"She's doing fine, Martha. I would like to do a test on her to see if her lungs are strong enough for her to survive outside the womb."

"Ok" she said, sounding really nervous.

"It won't hurt, but you need to lay very still while I insert the needle," said Owen.

Martha nodded.

"Once I've done the test I'll scan the growth," he said as he readied the needle.

Martha lay as still as she could while Owen inserted the needle into the protective sac around her baby and withdrew some of the fluid. He pulled out the needle and transferred the fluid to a sterile container and turned to Martha.

"I want you to lie still while I run this," he said.

Martha nodded. Jack and Ianto moved back to her side as Owen moved to the other side of the room.

Owen inserted the fluid into the machine and while the computer was analysing it he went back to Martha.

"I need you to lie still for at least an hour while the computer analyses the fluid and then I'll scan the growth."

Martha nodded.

"So what happens if the test shows Rhiannon's lungs are strong enough?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"I can deliver her and she'll survive," he said simply.

"Will Rhiannon need to go to hospital?" said Jack

Owen nodded.

"Yes, she will be in hospital until her due date. I can't keep her here, she'll need specialist care."

Jack and Ianto just nodded. Martha lay on the table determined that she wasn't going to cry, her time was nearly over and her daughter's was just beginning. She was determined to keep her inside her for as long as she could before the growth interfered too much and endangered her daughter's life; only then would Owen take her out.