Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Who-verse. That honour belongs to RTD and the mighty and glorious BBC. The only thing I get out of this is a warm fuzzy feeling knowing I am trying to put right what once was wrong.

Authors note: Thanks again to everyone who has story alerted this. Also mega-thanks to Helen Pattskyn, Marzi and Monica-Ann for their reviews. I thought all the nice comments deserved the next two chapters posting. I'm going away overnight so I won't be able to post any more till Sunday night at the earliest. Enjoy x

Chapter V

Gwen did not make a good patient. Less than twelve hours after a fifteen hour labour she was bemoaning, very loudly and liberally peppered with colourful expletives, her continued stay in hospital. Hearing the commotion from down the corridor Jack needed no help in finding Gwen's room. He strode in to find her, baby suckling at her breast, barking out orders to any unfortunate nurse who happened to come within shouting distance.

"Gwen Cooper – looking good!" he said appreciatively his eyes naturally falling to her exposed breast.

With an exasperated look Gwen adjusted her top to obscure the view.

"Put your eyes away Jack," she scolded. "These are the property of the babe for the moment. And Rhys I suppose, if he feels so inclined. Definitely not yours!"

"Lucky boys!" Jack commented enviously as he leant over to give her a kiss on the forehead. "Seriously though, are you OK? Rhys said you had a tough time."

"Jack, I work for Torchwood! Labour was...well bloody painful actually...but nothing I couldn't handle."

Jack cast a glance round the room decked out with cards, flowers and balloons. Gwen shook her head and grimaced, "I know, the family's gone crazy. Not to mention Rhys."

"Where is the husband anyway? I expected him to be hovering around doing the besotted daddy bit." Jack asked with a grin, understanding that all this fuss was not Gwen's thing.

"I sent him home," Gwen confessed with a guilty smile. "He was knackered poor love, and if we're honest, his fussing was driving me mad. Besides I wanted to see you alone."

Jack arched one of his perfect eyebrows. "Is my luck finally in?" he quipped. Gwen realised that, for the first time, she could treat the comment as the joke it was intended to be. Whatever feelings she had held for Jack had matured into the kind of deep affection you felt for a close relative, not a lover.

She smirked. "You wish! No, I want to talk to you about this mission you're on for the Doctor. First though I need to ask you a question." She glanced down at Jacks hand and the newly acquired ring. "That was in the letter?" she asked sadly. "From Ianto?"

Jack felt his eyes sting and nodded hurriedly. "He asked me to marry him. Can you believe it? From beyond the grave. I should have... well never mind."

Her own eyes filling with tears Gwen grabbed his hand and squeezed hard in understanding. At the sudden movement the baby gave a halting cry but fell silent at the touch of his mother's hand. There was a moment of silence broken only by the snuffling of the baby as it resumed its feed. Finally Gwen took a deep breath.

"Jack. Rhys and I, we've been talking. We want to call the baby Ianto Owen but only if it was OK with you. And we would like you to be a godfather. Would you Jack? We'd really love it if you could."

Jack lifted Gwen's hand and kissed it. "I think the name is perfect. Ianto would have been so proud, Owen too. I'm not sure what kind of example I'd set as a godfather. I'm not really the soul of moral discretion, but I would be honoured. There is just one thing though. How would you feel if I was his Uncle for a bit?"

"Er, what? Uncle...?" Gwen looked at Jack, her brow crinkling in confusion.

Surprisingly Jack flushed crimson. "I need you to pretend to be my sister," he muttered.

"Is this something to do with your mission for the Doctor?" she guessed. When Jack nodded she continued, "You better tell me then? Is it dangerous? I can't go running off saving the planet at the moment Jack, it'll play havoc with the feeding schedule." Although she spoke lightly, Jack could hear the tense undercurrent of fear in her voice.

"No, nothing like that. Strictly a hands-off, support role. Oh, and maybe a bit of boosting my image with a certain woman." Jack assured her.

Gwen shot him a sharp look. " What are you up to? What is the Doctor up to that he can't do himself? Why did you come back, Jack? I don't flatter myself it was for me, Rhys and the baby." She couldn't help the sharp note of bitterness that tinged her words. It still hurt that Jack had left them when she needed them most. That she hadn't been enough reason to stay.

Jack looked stricken. "Gwen. I know you can never forgive me for leaving. Please understand I thought I was doing the right thing. Everyone I touch dies. Tosh, Owen, Ianto. Steven. Even if I don't actually cause the deaths I still ruin peoples lives. I am dangerous to be around. I couldn't take the risk that I could lose you too. You mean too much. He means too much..." Jack stroked baby Ianto's head. "I thought if I left you would be safe. The Doctor made me realise I was wrong. The Earth will never be a safe place again. At least if I'm here I have a chance of doing something to keep it...keep you...safe. Basically the Doctor told me I was being a prat!" Jack's blue eyes looked directly into Gwen's silently pleading, if not for forgiveness, at least for understanding.

After a moment she gave a crooked smile. "You didn't need the Doctor to tell you that. I could have done it and saved him one hell of a manhunt," she admonished.

Jack let out the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. They were alright. Despite the hurt Jack knew Gwen was feeling, she was letting him know that she understood his motives and would not hold them against him.

"So," he said, his voice almost normal again. "The mission..."

Jack filled in Gwen with the news about Donna's fate, making her shake her head in disbelief and mutter how sad it was. But as he outlined the plans that the Doctor and he had made, her face became incredulous. What was Jack thinking, she thought disbelievingly. He was setting himself up for one hell of a fall. Not to mention Donna. She could understand what the Doctor wanted to do for Donna but the man must have a screw loose if he thought Jack was the right person to do the job. Jack was broken – completely and utterly – irrespective of the show he was putting on for the outside world. How could he give hope and purpose to another soul, when he was without hope himself? But as Jack continued to talk about Donna and their meetings so far Gwen noticed that his features had softened. Maybe the Doctor is clever than I gave him credit for, she admitted. She didn't know Donna, had never met her. She had only seen her image on the subwave network and heard of the incredible acts of courage that had quite literally saved all of reality. Maybe the Doctor wasn't trying to fix Donna, maybe he was trying to fix Jack. Perhaps Donna's purpose was to take care of Jack, and in turn be cared for by him. She couldn't help but feel a small twinge of jealousy grip her stomach as she realised that Donna may come to have a place in Jack's life that she never would, but she pushed it deep down and looked at Ianto with the sure knowledge that she had made the right decision.

Finally Jack ended his tale with the news that he had had to tell Donna that Gwen was his sister. He left out the bit after.

"So, what are you going to do now Jack? If you aren't careful you are going to end up hurting her very badly. People don't recover easily from loving you." Gwen looked pointedly at him. "And I should know!"

Jack shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I meant to be a friend, that was all, a mate. Build up her confidence, get her to make the most of her potential. Now it's got complicated. Very complicated."

"She loves you?" Gwen proffered.

"She says so. I don't know. She understands about me and Ianto," Jack confessed.

Gwen was stunned into silence. Jack had told Donna about Ianto? And he didn't realise how significant that was. Whatever Jack was saying, he clearly had deeper feelings for Donna than even he knew. Gwen thought carefully before she replied.

"Follow your instincts Jack. They are usually right...but be honest with her. Well, as honest as an immortal alien catcher who works for Torchwood can be. I'll happily play the doting sister. Bring her to meet me. I want to meet this woman!"

Jack gave her a grateful hug. "Can I have a hold of my godson then?" he said holding out his arms.

"Of course. Say hello to Uncle Jack, Ianto." Gwen smiled as she handed her son into his waiting arms.

Jack looked into the baby's blue eyes and felt his heart contract. Sometimes, just once in a while, there was a good day. Today was a good day. "Welcome to the world, Ianto Owen Williams."

Gwen smiled inwardly at the picture before her. "Jack," she warned gently. "Whether you know it or not you do love Donna. Don't cock this up."

Engrossed in his godson, Jack showed no sign of having heard her.

For the next two days Jack threw himself into overseeing the rebuilding of the Torchwood hub under Roald Dahl Plass. The giant crater had long since disappeared beneath slick new paving slabs and all the work was going on underground. Despite the extensive damage to the main control room, many of the lower levels of the Hub were relatively undamaged, including the level containing the vault with it's own internal power supply where past Torchwood operatives were interred. In the days immediately following the 456, Jack had searched alone through the debris of the Hub desperate to know if anything had survived. He had found Janet cowering in the corner of one of the cells but of Myfanwy there was no sign. Unsurprisingly the government was now backing Torchwood a hundred percent and were eager to get the organisation up and running again. The Hub could be fixed but the rest of it? Before he had left Jack had only cared about reinstating the Torchwood Hub in so much that he could lay Ianto to rest with his colleagues. Now he didn't know what to think. The rift was still there, the threat was still there. As Jack stepped through the new blast door into the Hub, he shivered. It might be a new structure but it was filled with old ghosts. He tried not to think of Tosh lying beneath his feet, or of the newly filled vault containing the body of Ianto. I'm not sure I can do this, he thought desperately. I'm not sure I'm brave enough. He had a sudden vision of Ianto, coffee in hand, suit and tie immaculate, admonishing him with a sly wink and a soft "I have every faith in you...sir."

On the way back to London Jack contemplated what Gwen had said. The bit he had pretended not to hear, although every word had rung mockingly in his ears. Loved Donna. It wasn't possible. He loved Ianto, would love him until the day he died. And he had every reason to expect that that day would never come. He had lost his soul mate and he would hold onto that grief with every fibre of his being, determined not to let Ianto's fears about merely being a blip in time come true. What he felt for Donna was different. He didn't know what it was. It was more than mere friendship, he could admit that. And he missed her, her caustic wit and quick temper, when she wasn't around. But it wasn't love, at least not the kind she wanted and deserved. She deserved more. He made a sudden decision. He would have to end it. Take the risk and hope that it didn't destroy her. The decision left him feeling strangely hollow inside, but he resolutely pushed the sensation aside and floored the SUV with a grim sense of purpose.

Donna wasn't at his flat when he got back. Not that he expected her to be. There was a folded piece of paper laid on the pillow of the freshly made bed and a bundle of baby clothes, tied with a blue ribbon, and sporting a tag, 'For Gwen and the baby'. Jack sat down heavily on the side of the bed. Was he really going to do this? Break this woman's heart again? He slowly picked up the paper and unfolded it.

Welcome home Captain

Hope you don't mind the baby stuff. Saw them and thought Gwen might like them. If you're not too tired when you get back, ring me. I think it's about time you met the family. Mum will hate you but Grandad Wilf will love you.

Love D x

P.S. Drop the sharp suits from now on. I much prefer the Captain Jack getup!

As he read Jack couldn't help but smile. It was just so Donna. And in that second he knew he couldn't do it. Couldn't consciously push Donna away. He would have to let it play out, at least for now. After all, he had such a long life to live. He could pretend for a while; to make her happy. To make the Doctor happy. To bury the pain, just for a little while. No-one would ever know he was falling apart, waiting to die, waiting to be with him again. Even though there was no-one to see it, Jack's mask of calm acceptance descended over his features as he pulled out his mobile phone and dialled Donna's number.

"Hiya sweetheart," he said cheerily as the phone was picked up. "Got your note."