Ianto was feeling every one of his seven months of pregnancy. There was no longer a chance that his waddle could be mistaken for anything else, and he was definitely showing. Gwen and Toshiko were constantly asking to feel the baby kick, and Ianto, being polite and ever-suffering, endured their attention.
He couldn't deny that watching the baby's fist or heel slide across his stomach wasn't endearing. In fact, he'd quite often made a game of trying to catch it as it moved. Once, he'd been found out by Jack, who was watching him from the doorway to his bedroom. Ianto had sworn him to secrecy and they never spoke of it again. That didn't mean that he was safe from the captain's knowing looks every time the Welshman put his hand on his stomach.
He hadn't run into his sister again. But then, he'd put himself on a strict travel limit. He didn't go anywhere besides the Hub and his flat. It was disappointing, knowing that even if the rift decided to be quiet for a few days he and Jack could no longer sneak away, however he didn't want to be seen. It was far too obvious he was pregnant, and they just didn't need that kind of drama. Retcon was a necessity, not a convenience.
At his request, Jack had stopped by three more agencies on his behalf. He'd given them all a thumbs up, but one in particular had stood out in his mind as it came highly recommended by many sites the captain had researched. The staff was helpful and friendly, their successful adoption rate was high, and they had quite a few families looking to adopt. The fees weren't particularly low, but that wasn't something Ianto really minded. He had enough money for the private adoption.
He hadn't been aware he'd have a choice of applicants. While they would believe he was Ionwen Jones, a fair skinned, dark haired, blue-eyed Welshwoman struggling through university, he would be able to make a decision based off of questionnaires all the parents had filled out. They'd be provided more information on his/her background if they chose to agree to the match. Ianto wasn't sure who the girl in the picture would be, but he knew Jack and Tosh would work that out.
He thought he'd already chosen the ideal family. He was a professor at Cardiff University and she worked at a day nursery. They were both born and raised in southern Wales, and came from long-standing Welsh families. They'd been trying for a child for several years with no success, and had been on the list as potential adoptees for at least two. They seemed perfect, which was why he was going to have Jack tell the agency his choice as soon as possible.
He hoped the family liked his profile. While it felt strange being so dishonest, he knew there was no possible way it could be done any differently. The couple would get a healthy, Welsh baby, regardless of it not actually having a mother. While he supposed the Raspotahn could have changed his DNA in some way in order to make the pregnancy possible, he was sure he was still a male. Pretty sure, anyway.
What he needed to do now was make the decision whether or not to find out the sex of the baby. The couple he had chosen didn't have a preference listed, so he knew he could potentially go the next couple of months without knowing and it wouldn't affect the adoption in the least. There was a lottery of sorts going on at work and they had all insisted they knew it was a little girl. Ianto felt sure that Owen would have explained the fact that women carried the chromosome for that, yet he didn't. It only made Ianto question his body chemistry all that much more.
It wasn't that he had a preference himself. He didn't. And he wasn't going to be keeping it, so it wasn't as though he needed to know to decorate a nursery or pick out clothing and matching shoes. He was concerned, however, that if he found out the sex of the child he was carrying it would make it seem more real. He didn't need any more reality than what he was currently experiencing. He couldn't deny there was a child in his stomach, and he was going to have to deliver this baby, but he didn't need to refer to it as he or she.
Ianto had tried to keep that to himself, but somehow Jack had managed to get him to talk about it. It was an awkward conversation, as he still knew how much Jack wished he'd keep the baby. But how could he? He wasn't ready to be a father, abuse ran in his family, and Torchwood was no place to raise a child. He'd be dooming the kid to a life he himself had gone through, with the added bonus of death-by-hostile-aliens tacked on for good measure.
No, this child deserved the right to grow up safe and sound, in a family that had planned for it and wanted it with all it had. To be cared for by two parents, who undoubtedly had extended family going back a couple generations. He wanted it to have a real future, and not be bound by the same fate that bound everyone working for Torchwood. If his child were lucky, it would live a long, normal life, and be loved. It was only right.
There was also a part of Ianto whose voice he didn't often acknowledge. That was the part of him that said he'd probably make a good father. The part that wanted the challenge of raising a child, and that thought having one with Jack might be as close as he'd ever get to normal. But he didn't want to hear that. Life with Jack was good just the way it was. Who needed normal?
The simple truth of the matter was that even without the family background issues, and the risk of Torchwood to the child itself, there was the fact that he was more than likely going to die in the next few years. It was pretty certain, if statistics were anything to go by. Why keep a child only to leave it shortly thereafter? That was cruel, and no matter what Jack said, he couldn't possibly want to saddle himself with a toddler after Ianto was gone. Jack, be a single parent? What did he know about being a father?
He sighed as he went through the paperwork sitting on his desk in the archives. He'd been down there for hours, but there was no reason not to be. The team had started ordering their coffees elsewhere, and someone else always got the lunch order. He wasn't even allowed to feed their guests anymore as Owen felt being around their waste could potentially harm the baby.
He scribbled Jack's signature on a form and moved on to the next one, rubbing a hand over his face. He was tired. Beyond tired. In fact, he hadn't been sleeping well at all lately. Not only could he not sleep on his stomach, but his sides were off limits now too, leaving only his back. It took him ages to fall asleep on his back. Some nights he was lucky to catch any sleep at all. Last night had been one of those nights.
He'd all but eliminated any form of caffeine from his diet, even though Owen had said cutting himself off completely wasn't necessary. He wanted the baby to have a healthy body, and dousing it with caffeine was not part of that plan. Unfortunately that meant that while he didn't have coffee, he also avoided all chocolate, soda, ice cream, and even gum. He'd been shocked to find out how many of his favorite products contained the drug.
This led to him having far more headaches than he'd normally ever suffer. He didn't want to overdo the Paracetamol either, and would mostly suffer through the pain on his own. Today, combined with his lack of energy and sleep deprivation, he was feeling extremely rough.
When his stomach rolled, he really wasn't surprised. What he didn't expect, however, was the addition of cramps, both in his stomach and his back. Ianto braced himself on the desk, taking deep breaths and trying to remain calm. The pain was getting worse, and while he didn't know if it was as serious as early on in his pregnancy he activated his earpiece.
"Jack? Owen?"
"Hey, Ianto," Jack replied, a smile in his voice. "Did you miss me?"
"Here, Tea Boy. What's up?"
"I'm having pains again," he explained, getting up from his desk when it seemed to subside. "I'm coming up."
"Do you need help?" the captain asked, smile no longer evident.
"No, I think I can make it."
He made his way out of the archives and up into the main Hub, still breathing evenly despite the pain not having reemerged. He still didn't feel right, and was beginning to think something was very wrong. He was met by Owen and Jack on the way to the medical bay.
It was while he was getting situated on the table that the pain hit again, this time doubling him over. Owen gave instructions for Jack to hold him down as best he could, so the doctor would be able to check him over. It took several deep, long breaths before the pain slid away enough for Ianto to relax back onto the table.
Owen was listening to his heart beat as he took his blood pressure. He then pulled Ianto's jumped up and palpated his stomach. Ianto's face screwed up in pain.
"He's in labor," the medic concluded.
"What? It's too soon!" Jack insisted.
"Not according to this baby. Ianto, I want you to relax as much as possible, alright?"
Ianto nodded, trying to concentrate on his breathing. He briefly wondered if he shouldn't have ordered some DVDs on Lamaze breathing. But since he wasn't going to be delivering this baby the natural way – and wasn't he thankful for that? – he hadn't seen a reason to.
Owen stepped closer with a long needle in his hand. "I'm going to administer something that's going to hopefully stop your labor from continuing."
Ianto swallowed. "Can it hurt the baby?"
"What's going to hurt the baby is being born before it's fully developed," Owen replied. "At this gestation, Ianto, there's not a very good chance for survival."
"And how long can we hold off his labor?" Jack asked, gripping Ianto's hand in his and not even flinching when Ianto squeezed it.
"Hopefully for at least a few weeks, getting the baby into safer territory. But it's not a certainty."
"So I could s-still have this baby t-too soon?" Ianto asked, speaking through yet another contraction.
"Once a body goes into premature labor it's not unusual, no. Now hold still."
Ianto did as best he could, breathing through his nose and feeling like he was going to hyperventilate. The captain stayed by his side, silent in his support. Ianto clung to his hand like a lifeline.
After about thirty minutes, the pain and contractions had subsided significantly. There were still flutters, but nothing near as painful as what he'd previously experienced. He hoped that was a good sign.
"So what now, Owen?" Jack asked, wiping Ianto's forehead with a damp flannel the medic had provided.
"Now, I'm afraid he's on bed rest," Owen replied, sighing. "As soon as he's feeling better he needs to be taken home and kept off his feet. No arguments, and no cheating. This time it's extremely serious."
"I understand, Owen," Ianto said through drooping eyelids. "I was good before, just ask Jack."
"I'm sure you were, but frankly, Ianto, you should be in hospital under observation. Since we can't do that you're going to need twenty-four hour care at home, and I'll be on call." Owen shot the captain a look. "If it even seems like he's suffering any kind of discomfort beyond that of someone seven months pregnant, I need you to call me. Any time of night."
"Got it," the captain agreed.
It was a few hours later before Owen deemed it safe to move Ianto from the Hub to his flat. Jack drove, and Ianto lay down in the back. Owen had made it very clear that the less he was vertical the better, and that meant sitting up as well as standing.
When they got to his home Jack helped Ianto from the car, leading him up to the flat and directly into his bedroom. They didn't even bother removing anything but his shoes. Normally Ianto would argue, wanting to be as comfortable and practical as possible, but at this point, he just wanted some sleep.
"I'm going to make arrangements with the others to make sure there is always someone here with you," Jack told him, pushing sweaty hair off of Ianto's forehead. "I'll be here as much as I can, but when I can't someone can take my place."
"Thank you, sir," Ianto mumbled, eyes beginning to close. He was so very tired.
"I'll be right here when you wake up."
Ianto smiled before he drifted off to sleep.