AN- Reception is the first year of Primary school in the UK when the children are about 4 turning 5.
Sad News: I have limited Internet until Saturday...I won't be able to update until then :( but then Rietta has to beta them ;) Will update asap! Enjoy the chapter!
So, Thank you SO much for the reviews, they're encouraging and mean a lot.
Happyiantofan guessed the song in the authors notes, it was Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart, Rietta and I have such fond memories of that song now xD
Special thanks to Rietta for all the laughter, the dancing with fish-cakes, and Models and Musicians that now perform in my front room xD.
Dare Count : 1 (Yup my first dare is in here, spot it!) Please let me know what you think xD
Chapter 8- Reunited.
August 1999
Jack leant against the head board. He felt terrible. Struggling into a sitting position, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rested his elbows on his knees, leaning his head on them.
Knock, knock.
Jack lifted his head and tried to invite the person in only to find he had no voice. Sighing, he pushed himself to his feet and opened the door.
"You ready for today's performance Jack?" the producer of the show smiled enthusiastically.
"I wish." Jack's voice came out hoarse and broken.
The producer turned to him, horrified. "What happened to you?"
Jack shrugged. "I woke up like this."
"I'll get the doctor to come and have a look at you. In the meantime, drink plenty of hot honey and lemon and have today off; rest up in bed and we'll see what the doctor says when he's examined you."
Jack nodded and sat down on his bed, leaning back against the head board and pulling his laptop onto his lap, booting it up. Signing in he opened his emails and noticed he had an email from Rhys, giving him Ianto's email with a 'thought you might want this, so you can email him your schedule when you have to...' Jack laughed and opened a fresh email.
To:IJones(at)blueyonder(.)co(.)uk
From:JHarkness(at)bt(.)co(.)uk
CC:
Subject: No performing for me today.
Attachment- Schedule 8/1/99
Message- 'Hey gorgeous,
I'm currently laid up with some form of virus; I have no voice and feel like crap. How are you my sexy Welshmen? I hope you're doing a lot better than me. I have included my schedule for the next month, so you know where I am. I can't talk, hence the email- Rhys sent it me. So whilst I have nothing to do, since I can't perform today, what say we play a game? Q and A, ask me anything. *winks*
Speak soon sexy.
Jack xxx'
Jack hit the send button and leaned back on the bed, reaching for the remote control and switching on the television. Watching the early morning chat shows was not something he normally indulged in, but he might as well today since he could hardly run around singing. He coughed harshly and grabbed a tissue, spitting into it. He hated being like this.
A knock at the door ten minutes later caused him to stumble across the room to answer it.
"Jack Harkness?"
Jack nodded "Yeah, you are?" Jack's voice was quiet.
"I'm the Doctor."
Jack laughed slightly. "Doctor Who?"
"Does it matter?"
Jack sighed. "So I just call you Doctor?"
"I'm surprised you can call me anything, you're supposed to have lost your voice." the skinny man with brown hair commented.
Jack moved aside and let the man in, and the Doctor closed the door behind him and watched as Jack moved to the bed. "So, what's up with you?"
Jack slumped down on the bed. "Voice," he croaked, "just in case you can't tell from the fact that I can't bloody speak and my chest feels tight, and I feel shit."
The Doctor removed a stethoscope from around his neck and placed the ear buds in his ears. "Lift your shirt"
Jack leaned back and lifted his shirt, allowing the Doctor to press the stethoscope over his chest in several different areas. "Breathe in, and release."
After several more minutes, the Doctor sighed. "Well, it's going to be two weeks off for you, I'm afraid."
Jack looked horrified. "What?!?"
"You need rest: you've got a chest infection and laryngitis."
Jack moaned. "Oh god."
The Doctor smiled. "Go and see your friends, spend some time with family."
"Oh I'll be fabulous company."
The Doctor chuckled. "Someone will have you. Take the chance whilst you can: even if you feel like shit, they're still family." The Doctor finished jotting his notes. "Here's your sick note and prescription. Go and see someone; take a break: you've run yourself into the ground."
Jack nodded and watched as the Doctor placed a sheet of paper on the bedside table and smiled. "Cya soon," he called back to the bed after he had gathered his things and moved to the door. "Feel better."
"Thanks," Jack called back as best as he could.
Ding.
Jack smiled and picked up the laptop, clicking on his emails. As the program opened up he laughed when he saw the email was from Ianto.
To:JHarkness(at)bt(.)co(.)uk
From:IJones(at)blueyonder(.)co(.)uk
CC:
Subject: Man flu??
Message- 'I was wondering how you got my email, but oh well, trust Rhys. I'm game for this twenty question thing if you are. Ask you anything? Okay: "What's your view on stopwatches?"
I have looked at the schedule and am severely disappointed that I won't get to see you this month. *sad face* I miss you Jack.
Ianto xxx'
Jack laughed and typed a response quickly.
TO:IJones(at)blueyonder(.)co(.)uk
From:JHarkness(at)bt(.)co(.)uk
CC:
Subject: Good news, somewhat
Message- 'You get the chance to ask me anything, and you want to ask about stopwatches? I think they're pretty and I do own an antique one; there is something fascinating about the button on top.
Oh, and I'm on sick leave for two weeks, so... Fancy a visitor? I might be ill, but Doc reckons I should spend time with friends and family. Sadly it is not man flu I have, it is laryngitis and a miscellaneous chest infection; which shall remain nameless. Mainly because the Doctor did not name it. Perhaps I should call it Bob… *sighs*
Miss you too Yan.
Jack xxx'
Jack hit the send button and leaned back. A few minutes later, his phone buzzed on the bedside table. Seriously? You're welcome here anytime, sooner the better. How're you going to get here? Yan xxx
Jack laughed and tapped out a reply. Can pack and leave now, I'll drive. Jack xxx
The phone buzzed again. Don't drive ill, get train, ticket booked under Jones. I'll pick you up from Cardiff Central xxx
Jack sighed and typed out quickly okay, times? before grabbing his suitcase and throwing stuff into it.
****
This train will shortly be approaching Cardiff Central
Jack opened his eyes and looked out the window, recognising the sights. He waited for the train to come to a stop before getting to his feet and walking out into the station towing his suitcase behind him. The producer had been all for him getting away for a while.
Walking out on to the platform in the middle of the afternoon, he smiled and breathed the air before coughing heavily, reaching into his pocket for a tissue, which he coughed into.
A few minutes later he dragged himself and his suitcase out into the main area of the station, and he felt relief at just seeing the Welshmen waiting for him. Ianto was moving through the crowd to Jack before Jack had really put his case down.
"Jack…" Ianto breathed, gathering the man into his arms.
"Hi," Jack croaked back.
Ianto pulled back and ran a hand down his cheek. "Bath, chicken soup and bed Cariad."
Jack smiled. "I won't argue."
Ianto grabbed Jack's case and hustled him towards the car. "I wish I'd come and got you. You should have said you felt this bad."
Jack smiled. "Missed you too much."
Ianto smiled back, leaning over and kissing Jack's forehead. "Missed you too."
Jack smiled and fastened his seatbelt as Ianto dumped Jack's suitcase on the back seat then climbed into the driving seat.
****
5 days later- Caerleon, Newport, Gwent.
Jack and Ianto parked outside a house with a brown gate marking the entrance.
"You sure you're up for this Jack?" Ianto questioned worriedly.
Jack nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine: one more day cooped up inside and I'd be going stir crazy."
Ianto sighed and nodded. "Alright-come and meet my family."
Jack laughed. "Can't be that bad, surely?"
Ianto rolled his eyes. "Well you've met Darian, so at least he might talk to you."
Jack smiled slightly. "Ah well, I'm sure it will be fine. Since we're here today. If we'd delayed until tomorrow I'd be hacking them all up with an axe, or possibly even a kipper, because the house arrest would have driven me insane."
Ianto chuckled, climbing out of the car and helping Jack out once he reached the passenger side. "Now that makes a change."
Jack smiled. "I wonder how long my voice will last?" he croaked.
Ianto smiled back, locking the car and taking Jack's hand as they headed up the driveway.
"Will your nain still be alright with us for tea?" Ianto asked.
"Yeah, she's been on at me to visit for ages. She'll kill me if I don't go, even if I am ill," Jack laughed.
As Ianto knocked on the door, Jack glanced down the street at the residence four houses down on the left. He hadn't got round to telling Ianto yet, but maybe it would be a nice surprise for him.
The door was opened by stunning woman. She had shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes-it was easy to tell where Ianto had got his looks from.
"Mam!" Ianto greeted the woman with a smile.
"Cariad, how are you?" she greeted, kissing his forehead and pulling him into the house. "Estelle from down the road is here. Be nice to see her; she hasn't seen you since you went to university."
"I'm okay, Mam…" He was interrupted by Estelle, he turned to her and was surprised to find her scowling at Jack.
"...And furthermore, your father tells me he thought you were dead and I don't even get a phone call off you."
Jack glanced at the floor guiltily. "Sorry, just...really busy."
"Too busy to reassure me that my grandchild was alive?"
Jack sighed and moved over to Estelle. "I'm sorry Nan," he murmured. Wrapping his arms around her in a hug, he pulled the woman close to him and held her tight, closing his eyes, not wanting to see the shock on the Jones' faces.
"Mam, this is Jack," Ianto choked out.
"Jack Harkness..." Estelle smiled as she pulled back from Jack and kissed his cheek.
"Ianto..." Jack turned to him. "Meet my Nan."
Ianto gaped. "That's weird."
Jack laughed and turned to Darian. "Nice to meet you again."
Darian grinned. "And you," he responded, shaking Jack's hand.
Jack smiled and turned to whom he assumed to be Ianto's father. He hadn't moved from his spot by the couch and was watching the interaction between them all.
"Jack," Ianto's dad smiled. "Wasn't always 'Harkness', was it?"
Jack laughed. "My mother wouldn't give me my dad's name till she and dad married, and that was when we moved to America."
Ianto looked at Jack in confusion. "But...I don't...have..." Shaking his head, he looked at Jack. "You didn't think to tell me?"
Jack smiled. "I tried to, but things got in the way... In the end, it just seemed easier to show you."
Ianto shook his head and hugged Jack before kissing his cheek. "So, did I know you?"
Jack smiled. "You did; we used to play together all the time in nursery."
Ianto raised an eyebrow. "We did?"
"Oh yes. You knew me back then as Jack Carter..."
Ianto eyes widened and he threw his arms around Jack again. "OH MY GOD!" he cried, laughing slightly. "We used to make mud pies...and snowmen and you always let me swap crisps with you in Reception."
Jack smiled. "Yep, I did."
Ianto shook his head again. "Small world," he smiled at Jack.
"Yup, everything changes."
"Estelle, save you cooking for Jack and Ianto, why don't you stay here for tea? We can all catch up, just like old times; it's been a while," Eva offered.
Estelle smiled. "That would be nice."
"Dinner won't be long. Oh and Jack, before I forget, I'm Eva and this is Iuean."
Jack smiled. "I remember."
****
Iuean burst out laughing. "I could never forget that- the look on your mothers face when your turned around, holding the cat in your arms covered in dirt!"
Jack laughed. "It was better in college; I was studying Applied Drama, and we had to make up a ten minute play. We were given a genre, and my group got Science Fiction; so we spoke about this man who had been kidnapped by aliens and is missing for a year, but when he comes back to his family he's only been gone about two days."
The Jones family nodded and Estelle nodded too, grinning. "I remember that."
Jack smiled. "Do you remember my famous line?"
Estelle laughed. "How could I forget?"
Jack smiled. "Anyway, so picture this: the man I'm playing is talking to a counsellor, and because of the experiments the aliens have run on him, his sense are heightened; and he's walking through this park and it's pouring with rain, and he stops and starts rambling about oestrogen in the rain..."
Estelle smiled. "Which makes sense, because when you go to the toilet, the pill is in your system…"
Jack grinned. "And then came my famous line...'Still, least I won't get pregnant. Never doing that again!"
Estelle and Ieuan started laughing and pointing at the door, which Ianto had just poked his head around in time to hear Jack's last line.
"Something you need to tell me?"
Jack burst out laughing and stood up, kissing Ianto on the lips. "Nothing to worry about," he grinned "be right back" he said before closing the door to the hall way, and heading to the bathroom where Ianto had just come from, effectively ending the conversation.
"Don't worry, Ianto," he heard Estelle comfort. "It's a story you'll love to hear."