A/N: So here's chapter 21 where we get a glimpse of the kind of person Micah is. Jazz, Kayla and Julie are going to come next. Hope you enjoy.

Thank you my reviewers. You all make me happy.

Hugs and such.

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Showered and dressed the couple made their way to the conference room where the food had been dished out and not a one had started eating yet. They were all worried, to some extent, about their friend and supervisor.

Kayla and Julie were the only two sitting in awkward silence. They didn't really know anyone and it was odd for the entire team to be worried about people they'd only just met. They were caring individuals but that didn't mean they became emotionally attached immediately. They needed time to warm up to people and they hoped this new job would give them a chance at something more normal than their lives had provided.

"Where's Josh?" Micah asked, extending a plate of food to Ianto and Jack.

"He's with Saben and the Doctor. He's keeping watch for our sakes." Jack said, a little disappointed in himself.

"Just like him then. Sit and eat, he'll eat later." Micah assured with a kind smile. Micah was always understanding of situations. Anything you could think of, this man had probably gone through something similar and he empathized well. He listened with an open mind and talked only when needed. He had always been a good friend.

Jack and Ianto took their seats and reluctantly ate their food. They knew eating was a fundamental part of survival, but they just had no appetite for food. They had both sustained themselves on nothing but coffee and the occasional cup or two of water. Nothing solid had passed their lips in well over 24 hours and it showed as they tentatively took a bite or two, seeing how it would settle.

"So, Jack, tell me something I should know about you!" Micah deadpanned, taking a bite of his own food and concentrating on Jack.

"I'm over 170 years old?" Jack said, though it came out more like a question than a statement.

"And how did you accomplish this?" Micah asked, truly curious. Owen and Tosh had taken their food to their stations, eating and finishing their work, Jazz was just devouring her food and listening to the conversation and Kayla and Julie were just baffled and quiet, wanting to size up their team. Jack and Ianto didn't comment on their silence.

"Vortex manipulator." Jack said, taking a bite of noodles and feeling all the better for it.

"I heard you're from the 51st century."

"That I am."

"I, myself, am born and raised in the here and now. I quite enjoy my time."

Jack smiled and nodded. He enjoyed the 21st century.

"This is the time when everything changes, and we've got to be ready." Jack said, taking another bite of food.

"How does it change?" Kayla asked, surprising Jack who had taken her for the quiet type.

"It's the century when earth makes contact with alien races." Jack informed and Kayla nodded, turning back to her food, losing interest in the conversation.

"I'm dead full, how about a walk then?" Micah said.

Jack looked down at his food and towards Ianto and watched the Welshman smile brightly and nod. He knew he was being paranoid but he really didn't want to leave his son for so long.

"Go, cariad. I'm here if Saben needs anything and Joshua could use a break and some lunch. Go!" Ianto prompted and Jack sighed, resigning himself to a walk about. Not that he hated walking, he just wanted to read a story to his son.

"Yan, make sure you read to him, okay?"

"Absolutely. Now go!"

Jack pushed his chair back and stood following Micah to the tourist office. He honestly didn't know what could be accomplished by this walk but if Ianto thought it was a good idea he would go along with it.

"My daughter died." Micah deadpanned, once they'd left the building and walked out into the sunny outdoors. It was a bright and warm day for Cardiff and Jack was adamant that the universe itself was trying to cheer him up.

"What?" Jack asked, gawking at this man.

"I've never told Ianto, he's younger than me and I didn't want him burdened with this. I never actually talked it through, thinking it was for the best to just let it fester inside instead of burden someone with it. I know what it's like to feel helpless, but unlike me, you have people helping...people who care."

"I gave birth to a still born when I was 23...that was a lifetime ago and so the pain's diminished a bit but I know the pain of losing a child. You should have told someone." Jack said and Micah shrugged.

"Who should I have told?" Micah asked, turning a corner and continuing with their walk. "I had no family, no one to care...I hadn't met Ianto yet so I had no friends...I was alone when this happened. I had no one..."

"You have people now." Jack said, pointing out the obvious.

"Yes, and I'm talking about it now, aren't I?"

"Yes...yes you are." Jack said, smile on his face.

"She was a year and half old...I had taken her out to the park and took my eyes off her for a minute and she'd fallen into the creek...I got to her too late and she was gone. I cried myself to sleep for years after...it got so bad I couldn't stop drinking. If I was awake I'd be drinking...if I was asleep there were the nightmares so I just didn't sleep...figured it was easier. I did eventually get over it, but it wasn't easy. Your turn." Micah said and Jack frowned.

"My turn for what?"

"Tell me about it all, I'll listen and help where I can." Micah said, taking a seat on a bench they'd happened upon. They had made their way towards a beautiful part, trees and grass for what looked like miles surrounded by running water and birds chirping.

"I was petrified when I found out I was pregnant." Jack began, looking down at the ground. "I promised myself I wouldn't get pregnant again...not after what had happened before...so when I found out I felt I was betraying Ianto and myself, but mostly I was letting down the baby that needed my protection...protection against my own body and how can I protect him from that?"

Micah nodded and Jack continued.

"Then he was stable and healthy...I've never had a healthy pregnancy so I was elated and terrified something was going to go wrong. I was cautious and did everything in my power to make sure he was well taken care of...then when I was six months gone I ate some tainted pizza given to me by a co-worker. I'll tell you about her later...

"It triggered early labor and I was so terrified I could hardly breathe. I felt like puking and my stomach must have hit my feet I was so panicked...all I could think was that this baby was dying and I couldn't stop it...there was nothing I could do to keep him inside for just that much longer...to make it so he would survive.

"I felt so powerless and Ianto, poor beautiful, humble, brilliant Ianto...he was my rock. I have no idea what I would have done without him...I gave birth to Saben later that day and he didn't cry immediately...I thought he was dead and all I could think was, please please please let him live...let him cry...let him scream...let him breathe...just let him live."

Micah nodded again, continuing to listen. This was heartbreaking but Jack needed to let it out. He couldn't let it fester as he'd done.

"And then he squeaked and it was the best sound I'd ever heard. I haven't held him yet...he's too fragile to be lifted...his skin will tear...and I keep thinking that as long as I don't touch him he'll live...that if not for me he'd have been born healthy and been properly grown and that maybe I'm the problem...maybe if I stay away from him...just maybe he could have a happy life...a healthy life. Then I cry because I can't imagine my life without him in it and I feel bad for thinking about leaving him...even if they are just random thoughts. I'd never leave him. I know that but I still feel bad...horrible actually, about having that thought process..."

"This is the park she die in." Micah said, and Jack looked around, saddened for the man beside him.

"When I say things get better, I mean it. Having thoughts like that are normal, they're part of your brains way of distancing yourself in preparation of the worst but if Saben is anything like Ianto and you, he'll survive and thrive and become such a hand full you're going to want to tear your hair out."

"I hope so." Jack said, looking at the people going about their daily lives. If they had something horrible going on, they sure didn't show it.

"So this co-worker, what happened to her?" Micah asked, not really interested in who she was, just what her outcome had been.

"We wanted to feed her to Janet, our weevil, but we thought better of it. Death's too kind on her. Right now she's in the cells until we figure out what to do with her."

"I could use a test subject." Micah said and Jack smiled. Perfect.