It was a peaceful night in Ianto's flat as he lay watching Jack sleep soundly. It had been a good month for Jack and Ianto, they'd learned Jack was just over three months along and Ianto had made sure to keep Jack in bed unless he needed a shower or to use the bathroom – Jack had bitched and moaned about feeling useless but Ianto had put his foot down on the matter – and he'd stuff the pills down the older man's throat if Jack refused to take them. Cooking for Jack had been a challenge, considering his low sodium diet. It made it challenging to find something he would eat but it worked out pretty well for the both of them.
Ianto refused to make two separate dishes and so went on the same diet as his lover, hoping to encourage the older man to stick with it, that the end result would be well worth the bland food. Well not bland, per say, more like salt-less. The food had plenty of flavor...just not where it counted. Ianto learned the hard way that a person could add all the seasonings they wanted but without salt it was still bland and tasteless...there was just something about salt that brought the food together.
Ianto was shaken from his reverie when Jack sat up with a start, put a hand on his lower stomach and gasped. Ianto was immediately grabbing for the phone in case he had to make a call to Owen.
"What's the matter Cariad?" Ianto asked, grabbing Jack's face to focus his attention.
"The baby's dying." Jack said, tears brimming at his eyes.
"Like hell he is." Ianto said, lying Jack on his lap and rubbing his back. Opening his phone, Ianto called Owen, hoping the medic would answer. He looked calm but on the inside Ianto was worried sick for Jack, but he needed to keep it together, for all their sakes.
"Oi, tea-boy, have you any idea what time it is?" Owen asked, sounding annoyed at having been woken.
"Owen, thank god, I need you here...Jack says the baby's dying." Ianto said and the line went dead.
Ianto closed his phone and hoped to god Owen would make it in time. He had no idea what he would do if he lost this child, let alone Jack, who had no reason to hope for his survival.
Jack tensed and clutched at Ianto's pant leg as Ianto rubbed soothing circles on Jack's back. Jack had given up all pretense of being okay with this and had started sobbing into Ianto's leg, clutching tightly at the pant leg.
"It's okay Cariad. Everything will be okay." Ianto promised, a look of determination on his face as he reached for Jack's phone on the nightstand and looked through the numbers presiding within. Finding the one he was looking for, Ianto pushed call and waited for an answer.
"Jack, kind of busy here."
"It's not Jack." Ianto said, pushing Jack's head back onto his lap. "Keep still, please."
"Why are you calling? You never call."
"We need help."
"Kind of vague, don't you think?"
"Our son is dying."
"I see. Be there in a jiffy then."
Ianto sighed and closed the phone and waited. He hated waiting. Jack tensed again and clung even harder to Ianto's leg, screaming.
"I don't want him to die." Jack admitted and Ianto's heart tore at the anguish in Jack's voice.
"I know Jack...neither do I." Ianto said before the door to his flat was thrown open and Owen ran into their room with med kit in hand.
"Jack, what's happening?" Owen asked lying Jack on his back and starting his check.
"My body's rejecting him..." Jack said, groaning in discomfort.
"That's not possible...we've done everything...your body should be holding him just fine."
"Stand back." A voice said from the door way.
"Thank you for coming Doctor." Ianto said, looking up at the doctor.
"I said stand back." The Doctor said as he made his way towards Jack, who was writhing in agony on the bed.
"Jack, I need to cut you." The Doctor said but Jack couldn't hear him, he was in too much pain to understand a thing being said to him.
"Ianto, random guy, I need you two to hold him down and do not, under any circumstances, let him stop breathing."
"The name's Owen." Owen said, irritated and being called random guy.
"Now Owen, really?" Ianto was annoyed and Owen ducked his head in embarrassment. Good at least he knew he'd been an ass.
The Doctor lifted Jacks shirt and put his ear to Jack's stomach and hummed in disapproval.
"I see." He said before looking to the medical kid that Owen had brought with him.
"Do you have a scalpel in that bag you carry with you?"
Owen searched through his bag and dug out a scalpel before handing it to the Doctor and resuming his work in keeping Jack still.
The Doctor felt around Jack's stomach before making a small incision. Grabbing the sheet from the bed, the Doctor dabbed at the wound to clear the blood before deepening the incision, all the while Jack screamed in agony.
"Hush Cariad, it'll be over soon." Ianto assured.
"GOT IT!" The Doctor yelled in triumph, holding a thin metal square in his hands.
"What is that?" Ianto asked, putting pressure on the wound to stem the flow of blood until Jack's body repaired itself.
"This little bastard is known as the aboriri. The word's Latin for perish. It's designed to prevent the host from carrying a child to term, must have been implanted quite a bit ago, seeing how old it is." The Doctor explained.
"Who would have done this to him?" Ianto asked, completely livid at the situation.
"His parents. It's common practice in the 51st century."
"Why?" Owen asked, checking Jack over and sighing in relief as he noticed the cut begin to heal itself.
"Over population." The Doctor explained.
"Will the baby live now?" Ianto asked, worry making him sick.
"Oh yes, most definitely."
"Doctor...where'd you park?" Ianto asked, looking around.
"Oh...yes, about that...I owe you a brand new television I'm afraid."
"Of course." Jack mumbled, rolling over and grabbing for Ianto's leg before falling asleep. Ianto smiled, happy to know that Jack and the baby were safe.
"I'll explain everything to him tomorrow. Thank you, both of you, for helping us."
"No problem."
"Whatever tea-boy."
And before long Ianto and Jack were left alone. Jack was sleeping soundly as Ianto watched and the cares of the world disappeared.
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"OI IANTO!" Came Gwen's voice and Ianto cringed as he opened one bleary eye and growled at the time. It was three in the morning and he'd just fallen asleep half hour ago and god help Gwen if she woke up Jack.
Slowly disentangling his leg from Jack's death grip, Ianto stood and made his way to the door and threw it open in quiet rage.
"Yes Gwen?" Ianto asked, trying so hard to sound pleasant.
"Why do you have blood on you?" Gwen asked and Ianto sighed.
"Long story that I will tell you when I come to work in three hours, what did you need?"
"I can't find Jack and I was wondering if you knew where he was." Gwen explained to Ianto, who's eye was twitching he was so tired.
"He's asleep, and no I won't wake him up."
"But it's important."
"It can wait three hours."
"No, it can't."
"It can and it will. Is that all?" Ianto asked, going to close the door.
"Don't close that door Ianto, I'm not done."
"Yes, you are." Ianto said, closing the door and walking back to the room, exhausted.
Ianto's head had just hit the pillow when the sound of knocking pounded into his ear. He hated his team sometimes.
"I got it Yan, get some sleep." Jack said, glaring at the bright numbers of the clock telling him it was ten past three in the damn morning.
"It's okay Jack. You're on bed rest Cariad, I've got this." Ianto said, getting out of bed again and heading to the door.
"What is it Gwen?" Ianto asked, glaring at the woman obstructing his sleep.
"I told you, I need to see Jack." Gwen said, jaw clenched with irritation.
"He's resting."
"Here?" Gwen asked, obviously annoyed.
"Yes, Gwen. Here!"
"Fine then, I'll come in to see him."
"I told you, he's resting." Ianto repeated as though he were talking to a small child.
"I won't be long."
With a sigh Ianto stepped aside and let Gwen in. He wasn't happy about the situation but if this would let them get some sleep, he was more than happy to allow Gwen time to talk to Jack, even though he really didn't need the added stress.
"Jack!" Ianto heard Gwen yell as she walked into their room. "You've been gone for a month."
"Yes I have. Owen must have told you, I'm on bed rest." Jack said calmly as Ianto made his way into the room and leaned against the door frame.
"For how long?"
"I'll have Owen come by tomorrow and see if I can go back to work." Jack explained. He was far more patient than Ianto was.
"This is because of that freak thing you're carrying isn't it?" Gwen asked and the room went momentarily silent.
"I think you should leave." Ianto said, Jack being too stunned to say anything to her.
"Well, it's the truth. This thing isn't natural, if it was you'd have no problems carrying it."
"Well, if you aren't just a funny little human." Came a voice and Ianto turned to find the Doctor standing behind him.
"What are you doing back here?" Jack asked, worried something was wrong.
"I went shopping, well I wanted to go shopping but then something came to me, it didn't come to me so much as I found it, and it just so happened to be perfect for the two of you, so I stopped by to leave it, since I broke your TV and all. The least I could do, I assure you."
"It's three in the morning." Ianto reminded the Doctor who shrugged.
"I was going to leave it and go, I wasn't planning on sticking around. I never stick around for long, gets boring really. Now as I was saying, you are a very funny human, and by funny I mean bigoted and uninformed." The Doctor said directing his stare to Gwen who felt about an inch tall.
"But..."
"No buts. These two are my friends and I do not call many people friends. They have done for me more than I can repay in my lifetime so I suggest you show them a bit of respect unless you want to repeat the same mistake that landed Ianto dead over 100 times already." The Doctor warned.
"And how would I..." The Doctor cut her off again.
"Your jealousy should not cloud your ability to see the beauty in the following months, if anything that child is the most normal person in this room, and he's not even born yet."
Gwen hung her head and nodded before taking her leave.
"Thank you Doctor." Ianto said, walking over to the bed to take a seat.
"No problem really. Now I best be off. I've left your gift by your damaged goods."
Once the sound of the Tardis leaving came to an end, Ianto kissed Jack soundly and fell asleep. He was too tired to even turn out the hall light.
Jack stayed up for a bit longer before he too succumbed to sleep, the night having taken a massive tole on his energy reserves. He wondered, as his eyes drifted shut, if anyone else was going to bother them that night.