Ianto had finally fallen asleep clinging to Jack with tear marks down his face. Jack had held Ianto close and taken him to the bunker. Petting the Welshman's hair Jack got to thinking about what he could do. He desperately wanted to grab Ifan and beat the living shit out of him, but Ifan was dead. Jack had been a good bit late and it ate at him. It was a mystery to Jack as to how someone could do something that horrid to another being, a child no less. It made no sense but Jack would make sense of it.
Placing a light kiss to Ianto's head, Jack left the bunker and made his way to his team. They were all busy with paperwork or the like so Jack felt confident in his decision. Looking around, Jack cleared his throat loudly to get their attention and began speaking.
"I have some business to attend to, it shouldn't take me more than a day or so to complete. Ianto is asleep and god help you all if you wake him before he wakes on his own. When he does wake up, I want you to tell him I'm on a weevil hunt and that I'll be back as soon as I'm able." Jack said and watched his team nod with barely contained questions.
Jack nodded to each before grabbing his phone and leaving the hub. Dialing a familiar number he waited for it to be answered before smiling brightly.
"Martha, can you call the doctor for me? He won't answer if I call." Jack asked, not much for formalities.
"Hello to you too Jack and I guess. Anything important?" Martha asked, a bit of irritation in her voice.
"Yes and no. It's important but not life threatening or world ending." Jack explained hoping Martha wouldn't want details.
"Okay, I'll call him. Were do you want him to meet you?" Martha asked shuffling to grab a pen.
"Cardiff about a mile south of the hub in about two hours."
"Okay, got it." Martha said hanging up the phone. Jack pocketed his phone and sighed before hailing a cab. For all the things he knew about Ianto, his family life was still a mystery, he'd had to look through Ianto's file in order to track down where his sister lived. He needed a proper date and Ianto wouldn't give him anything.
Giving the cabby the address to Rei's flat, Jack sat back and thought about all the things that needed to be said and how he was going to broach the subject without ousting Ianto to his sister. That wasn't his place, that was up to Ianto and when he felt comfortable enough to divulge the information he would.
About 20 minutes later Jack exited the cab and looked at the building before him. It was mostly plain from the outside view but he was sure it was a very lived in home. Something that screamed domesticity.
Gathering his nerves, Jack made his way to the front door and with a deep breath he knocked and waited for an answer.
Ianto's sister answered the door with an odd look on her face. There was something about this man that screamed security and trust, but he was a stranger and Rhiannon wasn't one to just let anyone into her house, no matter how handsome they were.
"What can I do for you?" She asked with her strong welsh accent.
"Hello Rhiannon, my name is Jack Harkness, I'm Ianto's boss and I was hoping we could have a word." Jack asked sweetly, turning on his charm.
"Is everything okay? Is Ianto hurt?" Rhiannon asked, fear making her nauseous.
"Everything is fine. I just have a few questions to ask, then I'll be on my way." Jack said, smiling brightly in order to assure her that nothing was wrong with her brother.
"I suppose so, come in then. Care for a tea?"
"Yes please, that sounds wonderful" Jack admitted, noting how long he'd gone without caffeine, and though he preferred Ianto's coffee to just about anything on the planet, he wasn't about to turn down a good cup of tea.
"Sit at the table then. Good timing for you, Mr. Harkness. Any later and you'd have two screaming kids to contend with." She said setting the kettle to boil.
"I wouldn't mind. I'm partial to kids." Jack admitted, taking a seat and folding his hands on the table.
"Mine are a bit hyper...you could say." She admitted making the tea and placing a cup in front of Jack, who took a sip and marveled at the taste.
"You are as good with tea as Ianto is with coffee." Jack said, taking another sip and loving the taste.
"Yeah? I'll take that as a compliment." Rhiannon said, taking her own seat and drinking her tea. There was a comfortable silence between the two for a time.
"What's this about my brother?" She asked, placing her cup on the table and looking pointedly at Jack.
"I've heard some not so savory things about his childhood and I'd like to confirm or deny them." Jack admitted and watched Rhiannon's face contort in fear.
"What about our childhood?"
"Tell me about Ifan." Jack said and watched tears brim her eyes at the mention of him.
"What of him. Nasty man he was. Beat my mam to near death more an I can count. Horrid man...and Ianto...poor lovely Ianto did all to keep me safe. He's younger than me you know...not much but enough that I should a protected him, but he slept at the foot of my door to keep tad out...I remember a rather nasty night where Ianto hit tad on the head with a, what do you call them, not a vase but something of the like and tad just grabbed his hand, said he'd do and took him to mam and his room.
"I remember hearing the belt and I hear Ianto screaming. I remember he wasn't the same after. I don't know what happened to him in there but it couldn't a been a good thing with tad." Rhiannon wiped at her eyes and looked up to Jack who had fury in his eyes.
"Do you remember how old you two were when this happened?" Jack asked, trying to reign in his temper. Rhiannon had had nothing to do with what Ifan had done and she didn't deserve his anger
"Ianto was nine and I was eleven." Rhiannon said, drinking the rest of her tea.
"The date Rhiannon. I need the date and maybe the address you used to live at." Jack said, tea forgotten in favor of information gathering.
"It was mam's birthday...September 12, 1992...I remember thinking it was horrid for mam to spend the day at hospital since it was her birthday and all."
Jack nodded and stood. "Thank you Rhiannon."
"Whatever for?" Rhiannon asked but Jack just shook his head and turned to leave.
"I promise you that I will fix this." Jack said and left the house. Rhiannon shrugged. What an odd man.
Jack grabbed a taxi again and made his way towards his meeting point with the Doctor and made it just in time to see the Tardis materialize.
Throwing money at the cabby, Jack ran as fast as he could towards the Tardis and waited with bated breath for the Doctor to peak his head out.
"Jack." The doctor said, looking a little irritated at having to make a side trip.
"Doctor. I need a trip."
"Well get in then." The doctor said, stepping to the side to allow Jack entrance.
"Where to?"
"September 12, 1992. Preferably day time." Jack said and the doctor frowned.
"What's this about Jack?"
"Saving an innocent life Doctor." Jack said looking pleadingly at the doctor.
"Who?" The doctor asked, not trusting Jack to keep the time line intact.
"Ianto...nine year old Ianto needs our help."
"This could change the time line Jack." The doctor sounded annoyed.
"This won't change anything but spare him unneeded grief."
"I won't let you alter the..."
"You owe me more than your lifetime could repay." Jack yelled, not letting the Doctor finish his sentence.
"Jack, this is foolish."
Jack shrugged and watched the doctor put in the coordinates and with the distinct sound, the Tardis was off.
"Where abouts are we to park Jack?" The Doctor asked, watching Jack pull a piece of paper from his pocket.
"This address." Jack said, watching the doctor nod before the Tardis came to a stop.
"We're here."
Jack nodded and opened the door, noticing the dark of the night.
"I said day time."
"It's not always my doing Jack. What's the difference." The doctor asked, eye brow raised curiously.
"It could have happened already." Jack said through gritted teeth. "You're coming with me."
The Doctor sighed and nodded, following Jack from the Tardis and looking at the quiet house, wondering what exactly seemed to be the point of all this until he heard the blood curdling screams of a little boy.
"Jack?" The doctor asked, but Jack was already running as fast as he could to the house, kicking in the door and looking around the disheveled living area.
"Rhiannon, where's Ianto?" Jack asked and Rhiannon, poor terrified girl, pointed to her parents room and wiped at her tears.
"FUCK!"
Jack and the doctor made their way towards the room and kicked in the door. There was Ifan, drunk as a bastard, head bleeding from multiple cuts brought on by the vase, towering over his son with a belt.
"I said take them off." Ifan screamed.
Ianto was cowering in the corner, tears falling fast down his young face. The Doctor ran over to Ianto and held the small boy to his chest, allowing the boy to curl in on the protective embrace.
"IFAN JONES." Jack yelled and Ifan turned to face the captain with a fearful look.
"Who the hell are you?" Ifan asked, spit flying from is mouth.
"A person you will wish you'd never fucked with." Jack said and without further warning he balled up his fist and punched the bastard in the nose, breaking it.
"FUCK!" Ifan screamed, holding his bloody nose.
"You're going to pay for that." Ifan said and Jack just shrugged.
"Better me than him." Jack said, bracing himself for the punch that connected with his jaw.
"Who are you to give a damn about my worthless children?" Ifan asked, bracing himself against the onslaught of beatings Jack was delivering. Jack didn't care if he killed the bastard, he knew the kid would be better off for it.
Jack punched the bastard again and again until Ifan was no longer moving and finally Jack stopped to look down at the unconscious man . "Piece of shit." Jack said, spitting on the man and standing up to dust himself off and wipe the blood from his mouth.
"Is he dead?" The Doctor asked, keeping Ianto's head in his chest.
"No!" Jack said and looked down at the bastard that would continue to ruin Ianto's childhood. "No, he's not...but I will kill him. I'll make sure I'm the reason he dies..."
"Won't that change the time line?" The doctor asked, looking down at the trembling child in his arms.
"Not if I do it right. He dies when Ianto is 18, before he goes to University. I'll be the one to kill him so help me."
"What would Ianto say if you kill him?" The doctor asked, looking over at Jack with sorrow filled eyes.
"If I don't he'll keep tormenting them."
"I'll check on Ianto every month. I'll make sure this never happens again. Jack you're not a killer." The doctor said, hoping to bring reason to this man.
"You saw what he was about to do." Jack said and the Doctor nodded.
"Do you have retcon on hand Jack? We can alter his personality a bit. Give him a moral block to never thing of doing...that again." The doctor couldn't bring himself to say it.
And Jack conceded. He may not be able to be there permanently but he would do what he could to make things better for his lover, without damaging the time line.
"Hey buddy." Jack said as he saw Ianto watching him curiously. Ianto buried his face in the Doctor's chest again. For whatever reason Ianto felt safe with him.
"For what it's worth, your tad won't do this again."
Ianto sighed in relief before closing his eyes as exhaustion took hold. The doctor picked up the exhausted child and took him to his own room, tucking him in tightly and giving him a once over to ensure no permanent damage was done, before making his way back to Jack, who was forcing a pill into Ifan's mouth.
"You don't deserve mercy you piece of shit." Jack said, forcing the unconscious man to swallow.
"Ifan Jones, you are morally against rape in any form." Jack whispered, dropping Ifan's head and watching in satisfaction as it bounced off the floor once before settling. Standing, Jack turned and faced the Doctor.
"Thank you." Jack said and made his way back to the Tardis without another word.
"Where to next?" The Doctor asked and Jack turned to face him.
"I want to go home." Jack said and the Doctor nodded, taking Jack back to the exact time he'd left, amazed that the Tardis actually listened to him.
"Call me when you need me Jack, I will pick up." The doctor said and Jack nodded, hailing a cab.
"Thank you." Jack said, getting into the cab and watching as the Tardis vanished.
00000000000000000000000
"Where's Jack?" Ianto asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning.
"Morning sleepy head. He's gone after a weevil, he said he'd be back soon." Tosh said, hanging a coffee to Ianto who took it with a smile.
"Isn't this my job?" Ianto asked, and Tosh shrugged.
"You were asleep, figured you could use a cup eh?" and Ianto nodded, taking a sip.
"It's very good."
"It's store bought."
"Figures." Ianto said, biting back a smile at Tosh's look of indignation.
"How long's he been gone?" Ianto asked returning to the original topic.
"About three hours. He said shouldn't be too much longer."
"Oh!" Ianto said and stretched a hand above his head, trying to work out the kinks in his back. That bunker bed sucked.
"Sexy." Jack said, walking into the hub with two boxes of pizza.
"That looks nothing like a weevil." Ianto noted as Jack bent down to kiss him.
"It got away." Jack said and Ianto frowned.
"I know what you did Jack." Ianto said and Jack looked guilty.
"And what did I do?"
"You and the Doctor burst into my house when I was nine and beat my tad within an inch of his life. I'm a fixed point in time too Jack, did you think I wouldn't notice the two sets of memories I have now?"
"He deserved it." Jack defended and Ianto sighed.
"What do you mean fixed point in time?" Tosh asked and Ianto shook his head.
"Later Tosh." Ianto said before addressing Jack. "You lie to me again and I'll beat you." Ianto said and placed a hand to Jack's face lovingly.
"And yes, he deserved it."
000000000000000000000000000
Many weeks passed with very little happening. Tosh still hadn't gotten over her curiosity and so had bothered the two for answers, but Jack and Ianto held firm that she would get her answer later, but later seemed never to come.
They were all currently on a case involving some rather odd meat that Owen had identified as alien. It was times like this that Jack hated humans more than they deserved to be hated. Humans as a whole were a great species, but individually they were dangerous.
"I'm going to pick up lunch." Ianto said, watching his teammates hard at work.
"Could you pick up some chocolate milk?" Jack asked and the whole of the hub turned to stare at him.
"What? Can't I like chocolate milk?" Jack asked, suddenly angry at the looks he was getting.
"You can drink whatever you want mate, but last I checked you don't like chocolate." Owen said, turning back to his work.
"I'll pick some up. Any preference for food?" Ianto asked and got conflicting murmurs and so with a shrug he settled on pizza.
Ianto made his way back to the hub half hour later with pizza and chocolate milk and watched Jack drink the half-gallon in about ten minutes and sigh happily.
"Thirsty?" Ianto commented and Jack nodded, patting his full stomach happily.
"God that hit the spot." Jack said throwing the empty container in the bin and looking at the pizzas before deciding he wasn't really hungry for food.
"Hey tea-boy what'd you get me?" Owen asked, hoping against hope it had no meat on it.
"The usual Owen, meat feast."
"Of course." Owen said, begrudgingly making his way to the pizza and taking a slice, picking off the meat as best as he could.
"I'll start on coffee." Ianto said, standing to make his way to the kitchen. He wasn't really all that hungry anyway.
"Oooh coffee sounds good." Jack said yawning and stretching.
"I bet." Ianto said softly as he started to brew.
Grabbing the cups, Ianto filled each one and took them to their respective persons and everyone sighed in happiness and joy at the coffee, until he made his way to Jack, who grabbed his coffee, brought it to his lips and made a face.
"What?" Ianto asked, looking at Jack with curiosity.
"What? What." Jack asked bringing the cup to his lips again to take a sip only to move it back again. Coffee didn't sound good all of a sudden.
"Jack, are you okay? I've never seen you turn down coffee before." Ianto said, worried about his Captain.
"I'm not turning it down. I love coffee." Jack said and as though to prove a point took a big sip only to spit it right back into the cup. The coffee tasted like ash and left a horrid taste in his mouth.
Jack's eyes widened and his cup fell to the floor shattering and sending shards in every direction.
"Jack...Jack are you okay?" Ianto asked grabbing Jack's face in his hands and trying to get the older man's attention.
"Ianto..." Jack sounded so small.
"What's the matter cariad?" Ianto said petting Jack's hair softly, not caring who was around to notice it.
"Ianto...I'm sorry."
"For the cup? Doesn't matter!" Ianto assured.
"I'm sorry Ianto...I didn't...it wasn't supposed to happen."
"Cups break all the time cariad. I'll clean the mess in no time." Ianto assured, grabbing Jack's hands to look for any burns that may have resulted in the cup dropping. Finding none, Ianto kissed the palms of each hand and looked at Jack closely. The captain looked absolutely crushed. His eyes were filling with tears and Ianto was starting to really worry.
"I'm sorry Ianto..." Jack repeated as he pulled his hands out of Iantos and shook his head.
"Jack, what's wrong?" Ianto asked, reaching out a hand to grab Jack's once more. Jack backed away from the touch and shook his head.
"I'm sorry." Jack repeated. Obviously he was in shock, and over a coffee cup none the less.
"Oi, mate, whatever's wrong we can deal with it together." Owen assured, forgetting about his food in favor of helping Jack.
"See cariad, we're here to help you. What happened? What's wrong?" Ianto tried again, hoping to get through to his captain, and after a long pause, Jack answered.
"I'm pregnant."