5.

"He better keep it," Peralta said with a smile and looked from his seat at the head of the boardroom table up at Jack who was standing before him with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Gwen was actually more concerned about Jack doing something stupid than Peralta. He had murder written all over his face, darkening the handsome features to something twisted and wrong that she didn't want associate with him. Peralta was still being watched attentively by the two soldiers standing at ease on either side. He didn't seem bothered by his situation … almost relaxed. "I put a lot of hard work into it. It was nerve-wrecking, waiting for your call. I was beginning to think he'd miscarried."

With a shudder, Gwen realized that Peralta had planned this from the start. Owen thought that he'd used the samples gathered from them – with their consent – to start his experiment. She was suddenly glad that Ianto wasn't here. He'd wanted to come but Jack had put his foot down, his protective streak coming through. And Ianto, probably too tired to argue, had accepted that.

Owen folded his hands on the table. Gwen knew him well enough to see that he was just about reigning himself in. "Well, he didn't," he said. "It's a perfectly healthy baby. At least for the moment. There's no way of knowing how this will end."

"Oh, don't you worry," Peralta replied. "It'll work. I screwed up in the past but this time, I got everything right." He grinned at Jack. "You'll see."

Jack's eyes narrowed and Martha, sensing oncoming danger, asked, "How did you do it?" She was sitting next to Owen, taking notes.

"Cunning," Peralta answered. "I used my nano balls for the uterus. I used cloning technique for the insemination." He stared at Jack with wide, amazed eyes. "It's genius!" Jack just glared at him and Peralta's smile faded and he shrugged, almost apologetically. "Yeah, so I shouldn't have used your DNA. I admit, that was a bit … I don't know. I liked what the two of you have. I guess I'm a romantic at heart." He smiled again and Gwen wondered if he was maybe insane. "You don't seem too happy, Captain. You're going to be a daddy."

Jack's palm slammed on the conference table. "I don't want to be one! You had no right to interfere with our lives that way! You had no right to do that to Ianto!"

"Trouble in paradise?" Peralta asked. Before anyone could stop him, Jack had hit Peralta, who, still handcuffed, fell out of his chair to the floor. Gwen grabbed Jack's arm and wrapped her other arm around him, trying to keep him contained when he charged towards Peralta again. The soldiers took up position between the two men.

Jack stopped struggling and shook Gwen off, muttering, "I'm done."

Peralta looked at Jack, shocked, his hands pressed to his nose. Blood was welling up between his fingers. "If I'd known this would be your reaction, I would have used my own DNA in combination with Mr. Jones's."

Gwen saw the next hit coming and grabbed Jack's arm, before he could strike Peralta again. "What you did," Jack yelled, "is just as bad as rape, you bastard! Don't you you get it? I guarantee that you won't set eyes on Ianto while you're here. Never again." He turned to Owen. "Get all the information you need and then get him away from here." With that, he stalked out of the room and slammed the door.

xxx

Ianto stepped into the lab hesitantly, carrying the mug of coffee for Martha almost like a protective shield. He didn't know why he felt so nervous. This were just Martha and Owen and he trusted them both with his life – already had depended on them to protect it. But this was different. This was him making a decision that he just knew would antagonize Jack and maybe not just him. It was a decision that would make his life unbearably difficult – but then again, it always kind of had been. It was a decision that would change everything – but change wasn't always bad. It was a decision that he'd probably already made days ago, subconsciously. And now it was time to face facts and see if they could live up to his hopes.

He found Martha and Owen amidst a forest of scientific paraphenelia, between chemicals cooking away in test tubes and flatscreens displaying what microscopes were seeing. Martha and Owen were talking in hushed tones when Ianto cleared his throat softly. They turned to him and Martha gifted him with a smile. "Hello, Ianto. Haven't seen you in a while."

"Since you left Cardiff the last time, actually," he answered.

"Looking good," Martha said and Ianto noticed her eyes lingering on his belly, hidden away underneath his shirt. He suddenly felt uncomfortable in his own body. He hadn't been able to close his suit jacket this morning, the threads holding the button straining against what was unmistakably him starting to show. Ianto had just sat in the shower room in the basement of the Hub for an hour, working through that realization. He hadn't felt comfortable leaving the suit jacket in the locker and only wearing the still-fitting trousers, tie and shirt … but now, wearing it open, he felt unprofessional and stupid. He should take it off ...

Owen snorted, startling him out of his thoughts. He shoved his hands into his lab coat. Ianto suspected that he only owned one because he wanted to seem more professional every once in a while. He rarely wore it, the white material still starch stiff and white. The lab coat Martha was wearing over her red jumper and dark jeans on the other hand was clearly worn, moulded to her shoulders in just the right way.

Ianto shook himself out of his reverie. He had to get a grip … but he felt exhausted and coffee was off-limits. He gave Martha an embarrassed smile. "I look tired."

Martha grimaced. "Yeah, sorry. You look horrible."

"Thanks." He handed her the coffee, inhaling its scent one last time before stepping back.

Martha's eyes slid to his belly once again. "You can't button up your jacket?"

"It's a matter of inches."

"You're starting to show earlier than women."

Owen sighed, "It's barely visible. Not even a bump. Looks as if you've had a healthy meal."

Ianto didn't want to talk about his belly anymore, so he asked, "Have you made any progress with Peralta's files?"

"Well, we learned some things about how Peralta did it, but the techniques used are not important in the long run. Unfortunately, there are barely any notes on the pregnancy itself, since former test subjects miscarried early on. No information about abortion."

"Delivery?" Ianto asked.

Martha and Owen looked at each other and Martha raised one eyebrow while Owen just pulled a face. Martha cleared her throat. "We considered that – a Ceasarean will work. The birth will be risky since the water will break but it has … nowhere to go. It's … it would be best to deliver earlier than your body wants you to deliver, to be on the safe side."

Owen nodded. "Maybe three weeks before the official date."

Ianto asked, "Could you do it? Deliver it?"

Owen and Martha looked at each other again. Owen crossed his arms and leaned back against a table. Martha looked at Ianto carefully. "Is there a reason you aren't asking anything about abortion, Ianto?"

"Yes. I'd like to have it." The words came easy. He'd practised them in his head long enough.

"Ianto, are you sure about that?"

He swallowed. "I'm sure that I don't want to abort." Silence engulfed them, until Ianto broke it with a nervous laugh. "Women make these decisions all the time! They have babies even though … the pregnancy wasn't planned. Why shouldn't I?"

"It's okay," Martha said, raising a hand as if to calm down a nervous horse. "It's just a big step."

"I'm aware of that."

Owen asked, "What does Jack say?"

"You heard him." He closed his eyes. "But I want to try."

He felt Martha take his hand and squeeze it. "Okay. Then we'll do our best."

xxx

When Ianto entered his office, Jack looked at him questioningly. "Are they making any progress?"

Ianto nodded. "Yes, actually." He stopped in front of the desk and folded his hands behind his back, then decided otherwise and crossed them on his chest. Jack felt his eyes drawn to the belly underneath. He masked the slip by ducking his head to study some forms he had to sign to approve Martha's involvement. Ianto's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "I guess that the combined knowledge we could gather will help them to … deal with the situation."

"Good," Jack said. And then, for lack of anything else, he repeated, "Good." He looked up. Ianto's face was impassive, giving nothing away and Jack hated this. Hated what had become of them over such a short amount of time. He used to be able to see what Ianto was thinking – because Ianto had allowed him to see. He was no longer granted that privilege, though. He cleared his throat, not sure how to broach the subject that hung in the air like smoke. "What will they deal with?"

Ianto didn't answer and it was answer enough. Finally, he said, "Don't try to talk me out of it. I know it's stupid and … maybe … silly or …" Ianto stopped himself. He looked Jack in the eyes. "But I want this so much. It surprised me but … I want it so, so much. It's …" He shook his head, obviously unable to explain. "I don't think abortion was ever an option, Jack. I always wanted children."

Jack bit his lip. "I guess it's your decision."

"It is," Ianto answered. He stared at Jack for a long moment, then he opened his mouth to say something …

… just to be interrupted by the door bursting open and Tosh entering. "Jack!" she said, breathlessly. "My detection program works. I've got a Golem on my scanners. It's in Bristol."

Jack jumped to his feet, somewhat glad for the distraction. "Call UNIT. I want back-up on this one and they might be there faster than we. I want you, Gwen and Owen in on this. Get ready."

She nodded and left.

Jack looked at Ianto. "You should go home. Get some proper rest in a proper bed." He made for his coat hanging on a hook in the corner of his office but Ianto surprised him by being there faster. He held the coat open for him, smoothing it down on his shoulders. When he was done, Jack turned around to Ianto. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Ianto nodded, avoiding his eyes. "I know."

Jack left his office, left Ianto behind, and tried to ignore the sadness welling up in him.

xxx

Martha looked around Ianto's living room. The flat was small and tidy, the furniture simple, but arranged in a way that made the tiny space seem more spacious. The living room was the most lived-in part of the flat, containing everything that defined Ianto's taste: his books, his DVDs, music, some prints of classic movie posters on the walls and pictures of the team on the shelves. Martha found a copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and opened it curiously. She'd never read it but had always planned to. She was just about to ask Ianto if she could borrow it for the duration of her stay when she found the hand-written note on the inside of the cover.

Jack,

because it reminded me of you.

Ianto

She heard a spoon clatter into the sink in the kitchen niche behind her and hurriedly put the book – Jack's book – back, instead focusing on the DVDs. "James Bond, huh?" she asked.

Ianto joined her and handed over a mug of coffee. "You sound surprised."

"I am," she answered. "A bit." She looked at him, saw his fingers fidgeting with his mug of tea and his smile getting nervous and tense. She cleared her throat and asked softly, "How did he take it?"

"Calmly," Ianto answered. He turned away and sat on the dark-blue couch, sinking into the plush cushions. "We know where we stand and … that's enough for us."

Martha sipped her coffee, mulling over her next words. "You know what I admire about you guys?"

Ianto looked up at her questioningly.

"Jack is … a force of nature. He's got a temper, sometimes. And from what he told me about you, you are stubborn, determined … passionate." She joined Ianto on the couch, perching on the very edge. She didn't feel comfortable enough in Ianto's presence yet to fully relax. She'd known him for a while now and they'd exchanged some e-mails, but mostly, their connection was through Jack. She tilted her head and continued, "But the both of you, in your relationship and … now, after it ended – you're just so … quiet."

"Quiet?"

"My parents got divorced. There were shouting matches and slamming doors and … scathing remarks ..." She rolled her eyes. "You know."

"I guess," Ianto answered and a fond smile stole his lips for a moment. "We're not quiet. We just prefer to have our shouting matches away from work." His face darkened. "Preferred."

Martha watched sadness flicker across his face. He clearly made an effort to reign it in and Martha wondered if he cried when he was alone. She swallowed a sip of coffee. "I don't get Jack."

Ianto seemed to have no problems following her change of subject. "He has his reasons for deciding against the baby. Yelling at him won't change that, so I don't do it."

"But he loves you."

Ianto stared into his mug for a long time before he answered, "I know." With a sigh, he looked up. "The problem is that he doesn't want to love me."

"Maybe the baby will change that. He can't ignore it. He can't ignore his child."

Ianto set the mug on the coffee table. "He won't have to." He looked at her earnestly and a bit relieved, as if she'd just done him favour by saying that. "Torchwood is dangerous, even just working in the Hub will get me into dangerous situations. It would be irresponsible to ..." He stopped and looked away.

Martha swallowed, understanding where this was leading. "Is it really about the job? Or about Jack?"

"Does it matter?" Ianto asked. "Maybe I need a fresh start after its birth. A new city, new job, new everything."

"What's the plan?" Martha asked. "Retcon?"

"Not exactly," Ianto answered. "The plan's you."

Martha raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Me?"

"I don't want Retcon. I want to know what's out there, what Earth is up against. I don't want to live life in ignorance. Not after what I've seen. So I need a new job that will enable me to still somehow help. Torchwood Two is not an option. Too isolated."

Now she understood why he'd seemed relieved. This was apparently something he'd meant to ask her for a while. "So you want me to check out opportunities at UNIT for you?"

"If you could?" Ianto answered.

Martha was stunned but she couldn't exactly say no, so she nodded. "Alright. I have a friend in HR."

"Thank you." Silence embraced them. Martha watched Ianto rub his tired eyes and then, just when she was about to send him to bed, he said, "Just don't tell Jack. Not yet."