Torchwood Dance Extravaganza

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Like I always say, I don't own a thing. I am merely playing in this sandbox and will (unwillingly) give the toys back when I'm finished.

Thanks as always to 19fangirl97 for providing the brainwork of this story. Woohoo! You're awesome!

So far, so good. Much thanks to all the feedback so far. It's very much appreciated.

Yep, here we are, chapter three. More fun and adventures abound for Jack and Ianto.

The dance had officially been under way for about a half an hour when Alia and her friends arrived. What had originated as Tosh getting Alia ready for the dance had quickly evolved into Alia inviting three of her closest friends over to get ready as well, making it a "girl party," as Tosh had so eloquently put it, though, apparently, Owen and the younger kids were around, being the so-called peanut gallery.

Jack had felt a fatherly swell of pride when Alia arrived, wearing the beautiful, floor-length red dress with the sweetheart neckline that Ianto had helped her pick out. Tosh had done an extraordinary job with Alia's hair, curling it softly into a low bun with some ringlets tumbling down behind, adding a few spangles and clips into it. If he wasn't mistaken, she was also wearing the crystal necklace that Tosh and Owen had given her for an early Christmas present this year.

She looked absolutely stunning!

Ianto slipped an arm around his waist as she walked up to them, her friends around her, all of them buzzing with excitement.

"Hey baby girl," he said, leaning down to press a kiss on her cheek, "you look beautiful."

"Thanks, Dad."

"When did you grow up to be such a beautiful young lady, Alia?" Ianto asked, following suit.

"Tad!" Alia exclaimed, though she smiled at the dual compliments of her fathers.

Jack surveyed her friends. The three girls, all of whom had known Alia for years, had the distinct touches of Tosh written all over their hair and make-up.

"You all look lovely tonight," Jack added.

"Thanks, Mr. Jack," Emily, the auburn-haired girl who lived down the street from them and was almost like a second daughter to both Jack and Ianto, said.

Maria, the boldest of the set of four, nudged Alia in the side. When Alia looked at her friend, the girl nodded to the side. Both Jack and Ianto followed the look, as any over-protective father would. Derek was standing with a throng of guys near a cluster of tables. The teenager looked in their direction and smiled, looking particularly at Alia as he did so.

Alia blushed.

Oh yeah, there was a mutual crush there.

"Why don't you go ask him to dance, Alia?" Ianto asked. "I'm sure he'll like it."

"I can't," Alia demurred, looking down at her hands rather quickly.

"And why not?" Jack questioned.

The girl looked to her friends, trying in vain to hide her ever-growing blush. "That's just not how it's done!" Beth, the fourth member of their group, told them. "Mr. Jack, Mr. Ianto, you don't just go up and ask a boy to dance!"

Now that comment made Jack stop and think.

Not how it's done?

He looked to Ianto and saw Ianto raise an eyebrow. "If that's the case," Jack said slowly, "then Ianto and I wouldn't have gotten together." Ianto snorted, calling, in his own way, Jack out on that way. "Though, in our case, I usually was the one to ask Ianto to dance." He smiled at a memory. "There was this one time, however, at a wedding."

Now Ianto was blushing. "Enough of that, Jack. Let's not scar them more than we have to."

Oh . . . but Jack wanted to, but he didn't get the chance to respond because a voice from behind them said:

"Yes, let's not. It's already bad enough that you're here."

Jack and Ianto turned in sync with each other, years of working together and saving Cardiff and the planet with Torchwood putting them on high alert. It was a good thing that Ianto had expressly forbidden the carrying of weaponry to this dance because Jack's first instinct, when he hear that tone of voice was to go for his trusty Webley.

The speaker ended up being the woman they had spoken to when they had first arrived – a Mildred Grays. Behind her was a cluster of other parents, all wearing similar offended expressions as Mildred did.

"Is there a problem here?" Ianto asked, diplomatically.

"There is," Mildred replied shortly. "Just because you lot are all modern doesn't mean that you can prance around with your fancy words and bravado, doing as you please. This is a school event, remember, and the rest of the parents would be much obliged if you didn't swan in, causing a ruckus."

What now?

"Causing a ruckus?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

She sniffed. "Stupid politics. If it was up to me, you and the rest of your gay lot wouldn't be allowed near school grounds or school events. You shouldn't be allowed to let your queer taint rub off on our children. Made a nasty choice, didn't you? Choosing to be gay."

Her words rubbed him the wrong way.

Ianto bristled beside Jack and Jack knew that it was already too late to stop his Welsh lover from snapping out at the woman. Knowing this, Jack stood tall, squaring his shoulders, giving the best impersonation of the imposing and ancient fury of the Doctor that he possibly could.

"Now you listen to me," Ianto said, his tone cold and level, "no one chooses to be straight or gay. It is what it is. This is how we're born and there's nothing you can do to change that, regardless of what you may think."

"Oh please," Mildred replied, rolling her eyes. "Everyone knows that you were engaged to a woman when you lived in London, Ianto Jones. The rumor mill is alive and well here in Cardiff." She assessed both of them as she shifted her weight ever so slightly, her eyes flicking between the pair of them. "Besides, we've seen you both around with your silly special ops unit – Torchwood, is it? Honestly, it's probably just a cover for some big gay orgy."

It was one thing to have misconceptions about human sexuality. The 21st century really was when it all changed – and the fact that the concept of sexuality was more fluid than previously thought was one of the biggest things to change during this time period. But Torchwood?

Really?

"Don't mock what my Dad and my Tad do!" Alia said, her voice rising. "They do more for this city than you'll ever know."

If they didn't have the attention of the rest of the room before, they certainly did now. Jack was keenly aware of that fact. Ianto was to, if the way that he was very tense and he was twisting his fingers nervously was anything to go by.

"Mr. Ianto and Mr. Jack are two of the nicest guys you'll ever meet!" Emily said, her eyes wide. "I've known for years and they've been nothing but kind to my family. They're like my other dads."

"Emily's right. They're like adopted dads to me as well," Beth agreed.

"And me." Maria looked at the two of them briefly and smiled genuinely before looking back to Mildred. "They always go out of their way to help us, even though we're just kids. I don't know what they do at work but I've met some of the people they work with and those people vouch that they're good people."

Ianto broke from Jack's side and walked between the girls, giving them each a grateful look.

"Ma'am, we may have a difference of opinion, but that doesn't mean that you should air these grievances where children can hear you. This is supposed to be about the kids having fun, not your hatred of a certain group of people."

Mildred rolled her eyes.

"Pish posh," she said, her tone dismissive, "just because you're here in your nice suits and have a fancy way of speaking doesn't change that fact that the both of you are queers and you don't belong here." She stomped up to Ianto and was mere inches from his face, glaring him in the eye. "You should see that and you should just go. No one wants you here, you damn fairy."

"Hey!" a young male voice cried. Jack looked over. It was Derek. The teenager had a determined look his face, one that said that he meant business. "Just because you don't want them here doesn't mean that other people don't. As far as I'm concerned, they're parents and have as much right to be at their daughter's school dance as you do." He looked over at Alia, who had a dropped jaw. "Besides, if you haven't noticed, Mr. Jones is right. This is a school dance and, as a student, I'd like to have fun here, regardless of your opinions – which are narrow, if you ask me."

"No one asked you, kid, so you should just let the grown-ups do the talking," Mildred growled, rounding on the boy.

And that's when she took it a step to far.

Jack stepped closer to her, drawing the woman's attention back to her. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a trio of teachers heading in their direction, clearly trying to alleviate the situation before it escalated even further.

"You should listen to Mr. Smith," he said. Jack was aware that he was using his "Torchwood Captain" voice, as Ianto had termed it, but that was the only way that he could get her to listen to him. "If you don't, then I suggest you leave, because Ianto and I are here to stay."

Mildred was fuming as the teachers arrived.

Minutes later, she was being escorted off the premise, still obviously angry about the fact that Jack and Ianto were there. But Jack didn't care.

This was Alia's dance and he wanted to make sure that it was the best dance of her life.

Well, that was an eventful chapter, don't you think?

As always, let me know what you think. Feedback is golden and I love reviews. The next chapter will be up as soon as possible.