A/N: It's been AGES! But this chapter was a problem child. It wasn't until today it finally agreed to take shape properly. I decided to let it flow and here we are.

FIRST OF ALL, though… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your reviews and support! This has been a long journey, full of inexcusably long gaps. It means the world to met that you're still sticking around!

Awkay, before I get all sappy… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

The End is Where We Begin Again

Owen definitely wasn't a sentimental fella. Especially now that he was… well, a living corpse. But as a medical man he did believe in the power of determination and emotional support.

Their very first meeting sparked something inside both Serena and Ianto. Their conditions began to improve, slowly yet surely. Once Ianto actually believed that his daughter was alive nothing could keep the Welshman away from the baby. General weakness… The threat of a massive load of stitches being popped… All those warnings were little more than annoying white noise. On the rare instances when Jack, Owen or the girls weren't keeping an eye on him Ianto struggled his way to a wheelchair to continue the journey to his child. Even if it ended with the Welshman falling to the floor a couple of times when his strength ran out. As soon as he could the unhealthily stubborn man decided to walk instead.

Serena wasn't taking the forced separation any better. She kept whimpering, as loudly as she could. The only times she settled down completely were with Jack present, and even then it seemed like she was trying to look around her, seeking something. After an event where only Jack's miraculously timed appearance and fast reflexes kept Ianto from collapsing to the floor they decided that enough was enough. If the daddy and daughter wanted each other who were they to bully them?

Ianto didn't mind Jack's arm, which was wrapped protectively around him as they made their way towards an unknown location. He should've minded the blindfold, though. He quite honestly didn't. After having worn one during numerous of their… little dabblings… He was very, very curious, though. "Where are you taking me?" he demanded for the fifth time.

Jack chuckled, audibly amused by his impatience. "Don't worry. You'll see soon enough. And it'll be a pleasant surprise."

Despite knowing full well that his body needed time to recover Ianto felt several parts of him growing eager. His eyebrow bounced up. "As much as I appreciate the possibility… I'm not sure…"

Jack snorted. "Like Owen would let that happen. It's a miracle that he hasn't forced a chastity belt on me yet."

"I'm more than ready to carry out that threat if you don't keep your hands in line", Owen's voice barked all of a sudden.

Jack's hand on his rear felt so natural to Ianto that he hadn't even realized it until the doctor pointed it out. The pair snickered like a couple of school kids ambushed from the cookie jar. Jack's hand didn't go anywhere.

Owen groaned loudly. "Fantastic… I'm stuck with two five-year-olds…" Steps moved around. "Now stop stalling and take off the blindfold."

Gently, brushing Ianto's face in a hidden sign of affection, Jack removed the fabric. At first the room's light blinded Ianto. Then all became clear and he feared that his heart might burst.

It was a small, peaceful room. Close to all medical equipment yet in its very own privacy. Serena was right there, still inside her incubator but somehow appearing a little less fragile. And beside her was a bed identical to the one Ianto had been forced to rest on.

"Now that you're both recovering it'd feel sort of cruel to keep you apart." Owen's voice carried a nearly inaudible hint of tenderness that the medical man probably didn't notice. "Besides, this saves me from having to patch you up after a cracked skull from you having fought to get to her on your own."

Ianto rolled his eyes. But there was no smothering the blissed smile on his lips. The Welshman drank in the view of his daughter, one of his hands tightening around Jack's. This was his world. "Thank you." He wasn't fully certain who those words were for, his family or Owen. Or to some higher power he wasn't sure he believed in. It didn't matter much.

He was looking at all that mattered.

Unnoticed by the couple the girls had also appeared, eager to see the reunion. Tosh excused herself, wiping her eyes as she went. Stood behind them Gwen also wiped her eyes. Owen rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, unable to disguise a trace of a smile.

The doctor stood beside Gwen when she finally finished wiping away her tears. He snorted. "Never thought you to be the type to weep over something like this", he stated.

Gwen glared at him half heartedly. Then swatted the back of his head. The shimmer in her eyes told him that Rhys would be in a trouble for the next few weeks.

"You do realize that in less than five minutes they're going to do it right there, on Ianto's new bed?" Owen told her after a minute or so, his nose wrinkled from disgust. And, perhaps, from a little envy. Which he'd never admit to a living soul.

Gwen's face blanched. Soon after a rosy hue tainted her cheeks. "Let's, uh… Let's the hell out of here, yeah?" The shimmer in her eyes from before lit into a flame. "I need to… talk to Rhys."

Owen's nose wrinkled even further and he groaned loudly, running a hand down his face.

How to create a birth certificate for a child who had two men for birth parents?

Tosh solved this problem with making the documents state that the baby's mother was a surrogate who insisted on remaining unnamed. Ianto was marked as the other bio-parent. Stunningly easily she was able to ensure that Jack also had parental rights. And then, of course, came the time to name her officially. Surprise could be read from Jack's face when 'Serena Rose' appeared to the computer screen on Ianto's suggestion.

The Welshman smiled and took his hand, squeezing tightly. "I may never get the chance to meet her, but… She's special", the younger man murmured. "I owe it to her that I got the chance to meet you at all. That I now have a family."

Jack squeezed back. Completely, utterly speechless. He then gave Ianto a kiss that'd hopefully utter at least half of the things lingering on his tongue. For the first time in his miserably long life Jack felt like he'd come home.

And the way Ianto returned his kiss, held his hand, told him that the Welshman felt exactly the same way.

The couple barely heard Owen, who'd appeared with Gwen, clearing his throat. "Enough, you horny bastards! Cool down or I swear, I'll get a hose!"

The two ignored him. Jack grinned, his eyes shining in a way the rest of them had never seen before. "Serena Rose Harkness-Jones", he whispered when they finally broke the kiss. "I like the sound of that."

A few days later Serena was strong enough to start leaving the incubator a few times a day. Both parents savoured those moments and so did their little girl. She always seemed to rub her face against Jack's clothes, clearly liking his scent. And whenever she heard Ianto's voice she relaxed and emitted pleased sounds.

Not much later they were ready to try having their first night as a family. Both parents were secretly terrified when they took their little girl to the nursery they'd put together into the very heart of Torchwood. Could they be blamed on expecting the worst, really, with everything they'd been put through?

Convinced that she'd be robbed from them the second they closed their eyes they struggled to stay awake. However, at two in the morning it started to get too much for Ianto. Jack seemed to notice this. The Captain tightened the protective arm that'd been wrapped around him and kissed his hair. "Sleep. I'll keep an eye on her, I promise."

Ianto had struggled with trust isssues since he was a child. But Jack's words… He felt them creeping in and lulling him. The next thing he became aware of was humming.

That brought Ianto quickly back to awareness. Humming? Since when had Jack…?

Or no, not just humming. Jack was actually singing. Curious, the Welshman opened one of his eyes halfway. What he discovered made his heart melt.

Jack was holding their daughter in a tender, protective hold. Somehow seeming to know exactly what to do, like he often did. The Captain was singing softly to Serena, who looked at her father with wide open, impossibly blue adoring eyes. The happiness and love in them, however, had no hope of matching those in Jack's. Ianto found his own eyes welling up while a smile made its way to his lips.

Right there, closing his eye once more, Ianto decided that he'd do absolutely everything in his power to make sure that for as long as he lived, nothing would take that joy from Jack.

A couple of weeks later Jack found himself visiting the place where he came so very close to losing his family. He wasn't entirely sure why he did it. To gain closure, perhaps. Or perhaps he was a masochist.

The Weevils were gone. And so was Gray. The place was empty and hollow. It felt like the whole horrific thing had been nothing but a nightmare.

Or did until Jack realized that he wasn't alone. His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

John Hart shrugged. "Would you believe that I'm just passing by?" Seeing his look the man smirked. "Thought so." That was obviously all the answer he'd get. "I guess you were just passing by, too."

Jack shrugged. He didn't ask or answer. They didn't owe each other any explanations.

For a few moments they stared at the room where Serena was born in silence. Neither was able to look away from the long ago dried pool of Ianto's blood although they would've wanted to. Jack was the one who spoke first. "Do you think he'll ever come back?" His voice was tight and unreadable. There were too many emotions for them to make enough sense to be expressed properly.

John gave him a look. There was a searching look in the man's eyes. "Would you want him to?"

Jack gritted his teeth. Still stared at the blood. "When it comes to Gray… I have no idea what I want", he admitted at last.

John pondered his answer for a long time. "No", the man decided. "I highly doubt that Gray would ever bother any of us again."

Jack felt tempted to ask how John could be so sure. But he had a feeling that he wouldn't have liked the answer very much. So he nodded instead, his eyes filling with a searing sensation despite the best of wills. "Good", was all he managed.

In a few moments they exchanged a one more nod. Then went their separate ways, like two ships that'd passed each other by. It was the last time they ever met.

Flat Holm, despite its good intentions, was still a place for the most scarred beings to ever walk on planet Earth. It was full of howls of such sheer, absolute terror and agony that only those cared for there could understand it. There were brief, gasp like glimpses of rationality. But most of the time the people trapped there were prisoners of their very own, personal hells.

On a brutally cold, pitch black October night a new inhabitant was brought in. As was often the case no one knew what, exactly, had happened to the poor soul. He was found from a graveyard, sitting there completely naked and trembling miserably. He was in such a condition that the only thing they could know for sure was his gender. A very large part of his body was covered in second and third degree burns. One of his eyes was gone and such a scar ran across the other that barely any of its sight had been spared. There was nearly nothing left of his tongue and his mouth was in such a condition that there was no way he'd ever consume solid food. His face and most of his torso had been scarred to such an extend that even his closest family wouldn't have recognized him. Flat Holm staff didn't go for a DNA-sample. Yes, their new patient would've had a name. But what good would it have done to anyone, his family included? Especially when it was highly unlikely that he'd live long.

But their patient surprised them all. Something kept him alive, pulled him through the two weeks that followed. The hellish pain, the nightmares, the constant terror… They couldn't imagine what it was that kept his heart beating.

At the beginning of week three Captain Jack Harkness appeared for a visit. The patient, hunched to a corner because there was no way his legs could've supported his weight, heard his voice drifting through the room's thick door. "… he doing?"

There was a heavy sigh. "The infection in his mouth is now under control but his skin still needs a lot of work. It's impossible to tell how much of his sight is left. Sometimes he watches me when I'm in the room. My guess is that he doesn't see much more than my shadow." There was a deafeningly loud scream from a nearby room, which muffled some of the following words. "… in his legs have weakened. He'd need extensive physical therapy to regain some of his mobility, but…"

"Yeah, I know." It was Jack's turn to sigh. "Do you think I can see him?"

"Yes. But make it brief. Social interaction tends to over-stimulate him."

The door opened with a loud screech that made the patient shiver and shrink further into himself. A few seconds later a shadow stood in the doorway, illuminated by the faint light shining from behind him and clouded by the scarred man's barely existent eyesight. He squinted his remaining eye even though it hurt horribly but couldn't see any more clearly.

And then… Then the arrival spoke. And that voice… It was like a knife had been twisted in an open wound. "Welcome to Flat Holm." Jack's voice was calm and polite. "I understand that you're in pain, scared and overwhelmed right now. But the people here will do everything they can to help you. And although you may not believe me… The nightmare is over, now."

Jack spoke more but the patient didn't hear, couldn't listen. His brain froze to the part where it was announced that the nightmare was over. He would've laughed, loudly and bitterly, if he would've been able to.

Over? Over?! No, no, no, it wasn't over. It had only just began.

And so Jack left, without even knowing it ending up leaving Gray behind for the second time. Abandoning his brother to what'd be his home for the rest of his miserable life. Hot, bitter tears that stung his wounds like acid slid down Gray's cheeks and if he could've he would've screamed at the top of his lungs.

Five people from the rooms next to his did it for him.

It was the first warm day of spring and Ianto had taken Serena outside to enjoy it. They wandered around rather aimlessly, simply enjoying the calm and quiet. In the end Ianto sat a to a playground's bench, his daughter held securely to his chest.

"You know… I took my time, before I realized that I wanted you. And I'm so, so sorry about that. You just… surprised me. Just like your dad." He smiled fondly at the memories. "He swept into my life like a hurricane, dashing and lively. It took me a while with him, too, to realize that I wanted him. It seems that I'm always a bit slow when it comes to those things." Serena emitted a small sound and he kissed her forehead. "I'm glad that you two waited for me, stuck around. Because… You're the best surprises I've ever had."

For about ten seconds Serena simply stared at him, as though wondering if he was serious. Then she giggled, her eyes shining in a way that would've had the sun itself envious. Ianto didn't even try to resist a smile of his own.

That was when he felt someone watching him. Lifting his head he grinned upon noticing Jack stood nearby. "How long have you been there?"

Jack shrugged. There was a soft look others only rarely got to see on the Captain's face. "Long enough." The man held out his arm. "So, ready to go home?"

Ianto nodded. Subconsciously he leaned closer to the other as Jack's arm wrapped around him. "Let's go home", he agreed, the mere thought filling his whole body with warmth.

They took the long way home, like they often did. Serena enjoyed car rides and the two savoured the rare opportunity to spend some time as a family. With Torchwood there could be only so many moments of undisturbed domestic bliss. They'd long since, both in their own silence, decided to make the most of whatever time they'd have.

Ianto was just checking up on Serena when they passed by Thames House. And all of a sudden a cold that he couldn't explain flashed through him. Sharp and strong enough to take his breath away for a second. He actually gasped, his heart taking a couple of extra beats.

"Ianto?" Jack gave him a worried glance. "What's wrong?"

Ianto blinked furiously. He tried to look towards the building to figure out what just came over him but couldn't bring himself to face it. "I… don't know. I guess I'm a bit tired." Understandable enough, with a baby and all. In a desperate need of reassurance and a change of topic he leaned his head against Jack's safe shoulder. "So, where are we going?"

Jack grinned, his face brightening instantly. "I proposed to you, remember? In that… chaos. And you said yes." The Captain's hand brushed his left one. "It's high time I'll buy you a ring on that finger."

A smile took over Ianto's face once more, casting away the shadows while he took Jack's hand and held on, refusing to let go.

TBC, for an epilogue

A/N: I know, I know. But 'CoE' must happen eventually – MY way. Remember that this time Owen and Tosh are there to join the fight. And maybe that'll make all the difference. We'll face those dreaded events and some more glimpses to the future in the epilogue.

As for Gray… That's the MOST CRUEL punishment I've ever delivered a character. Because yup, it's irreversible. He's stuck into THAT forever. But with what he did to Jack and his little family…

Sooo… Thoughts? Comments? I REALLY hope that this was worth the wait.

Until next and – I can't believe this! – last time. I really hope that you'll join in for that one!

Take care!

meiow23: I'm really happy that you've enjoyed the ride! And gosh, that lil' family SO deserves to be together. (BEAMS) I really hope that you'll enjoy what's to come as well!

Huge thank yous for the review!