Smash!
"That wasn't me!"
It was coming up to Christmas. This little fact was shown by radios playing non-stop Christmas songs, TV shows advertising different Christmas specials with at least one of them milking the goat of 'A Christmas Carol' for a storyline, there was the usual frenzy of buying presents and getting everything ready for the twenty fifth of December. At this current moment in time the three women of Torchwood were putting up decorations with the help of Ianto and after much complaining, Owen. When they'd finished the hub actually looked magnificent. There was a large tree covered with lights, tinsel, baubles, little pterodactyl figures that Owen bought from a toy shop, little snowman, chocolate Santa's and candy canes. The idea was that on Christmas Eve they would all swap presents in the hub however Gwen's little brain had made her stick mistletoe all over the hub in the hope of snaring either Jack or Owen. She didn't mind which but she preferred Jack obviously.
Tosh and Ianto looked at their other halves. Since the day Jack and Ianto got hitched, Owen and Tosh had been practically inseparable. Gwen could not be serious? She just expects the others to fall to their knees and worship her like some sort of priestess or something. Imogene was currently getting a leg up from Jack to allow her to put the fairy onto the top of the tree.
"Hey Gwen I don't think you should be putting that stuff up. Ianto's always been allergic to it." Imogene called.
"Don't be stupid; people can't be allergic to mistletoe." Gwen scoffed.
"It's true, there's some protein or chemical or something that gives him a rash. Especially around his…" Imogene smirked at her brother and Jack helped her down.
"Anyway!" Ianto snapped as Owen snorted with laughter.
"Gwen, please just take it down." Jack ordered. Gwen sulked and did as she was asked. Owen took the liberty to swipe a piece before Imogene took it and decided she would flog it on the Plass for a pound per sprig. She came in a few hours later with fifteen pound in her pocket. She loved Christmas it was such a money-maker.
"So what's the plan for Christmas Day?" Jack asked.
"We're going to my parents for dinner." Gwen said.
"Getting the pair of you up at around four to get presents then laze around the house until it's dinnertime and watch the telly." Imogene grinned.
"Come near us at four in the morning and you'll die." Jack warned.
"Or be scarred for life." Tosh whispered to Owen. She'd become a lot cheekier since they were dating and Owen would admit he liked it.
"What about you two?" Ianto asked.
"We're spending it together? Problem with that?" Owen replied, the last statement directed more towards Gwen.
"Since when have you two been together?" Gwen asked.
"Since the day those two got hitched." Tosh replied honestly. Gwen scowled at that reminder of Ianto marrying her Jack.
Christmas was soon upon them and on the twenty third Jack received a call from UNIT. He came out of his office and looked at them all apologetically. "I have to go to London. You know the way weird things have been happening there the past few years; they want me there in case something happens." Jack explained.
"You can't go. You'll miss Christmas." Imogene said.
"Can't be helped, I'm really sorry." Jack replied.
"It'll be alright. Aliens don't stop because it's Christmas." Ianto said calmly and hugged Jack before they left to pack Jack's bag and go to the station.
"Poor lads, their first Christmas together and UNIT ruin it." Tosh said sadly as she watched them leave the hub.
"It'll be alright, we can hold off the whole presents and dinner thing until he comes back. It's Ianto I feel sorry for. We spend ages picking out his present for Jack and it sounds selfish but I wanted my first Christmas in the twenty first century to be special. The three of us together like a family." Imogene said and let Tosh hug her.
"Come on, impromptu staff do. Crank on the music, break out the Celebrations, Quality Streets and drink and let's have a bit of festive fun." Owen said strongly.
On Christmas Eve they met up at the hub with wrapped presents. Ianto and Imogene didn't open theirs, instead putting them in bags to open when Jack came home from London. Owen had bought perfume for Gwen and a gorgeous sterling silver Pandora bracelet for Tosh. Tosh had bought Gwen a beautiful green top and Owen was given aftershave. Gwen had bought Owen a bottle of whisky and gave Tosh a voucher for the shopping centre. When the presents were swapped, they all wished each other a Merry Christmas and went their separate ways.
Jack was with Martha in London. It was getting late in the evening when Martha's phone rang. As she stepped away to listen to what was being said, her face broke into a huge grin and wished the caller a Merry Christmas as she hung up. Martha stood on a desk and whistled loudly to get everyone's attention.
"Right guys listen up. I've just had a call from a high source and he has just informed me that by the declaration of the Shadow Proclamation, London and in fact Planet Earth have been designated as a no-go area throughout the galaxy claiming that Christmas is a time of peace here. Meaning we can all… go home for Christmas!" Martha announced.
"Who was this higher source?" one of the generals, General Robertson asked her.
"It was from Him." Martha replied and it was enough for the general to tell everyone to get a move on and go. Jack hugged Martha and hurried to the train station and finally at half nine boarded on a train that was due for Cardiff. The train was filled with people. There was a very lively atmosphere on the train as all the passengers where in a good mood. Each of them was talking about their loved ones back home. There were grandparents going to see their grandkids, students going to see their parents, people returning to their wives or husbands and parents going home to their children. Finally the train drew into Cardiff city and the crowd flocked through the station to hail cabs or got into their loved ones cars. Jack looked at the darkened sky above him, the sky covered with clouds and as he shouldered his bag and walked through the streets, flakes of snow began falling onto his face.
(AN: sorry for the way I'm writing the first two sentences. I wanted to add a classical Christmas touch to it)
T'was the stoke of midnight and all through the flat, not a figure was awake and you could be sure of that. Imogene was curled up in bed and her brother Ianto had thoughts of his husband in his sleeping head. They had been watching a movie and headed to bed early joking about not wanting to be awake when Santa came. A loud hammering noise echoed from the door slowly rousing Ianto from sleep. Ianto got out of bed and called as he approached the door.
"Who is it?" Ianto called.
"Ho, ho, ho!" a voice called back.
Ianto opened the door and was suddenly engulfed in strong arms and a cold face meeting his own in a passionate kiss as the man at the other side of the door closed it with a kick of a booted foot. When the need for air got to be too much, Ianto moved back and took in the grinning face of Jack. There was snow on his coat, he looked froze to the bone and there was a Santa hat on his head. Nonetheless he was grinning that Harkness grin that he only saved for Ianto. They hugged each other tightly as Imogene appeared from her room bleary eyed. Her eyes focused on Jack and gave him a swift hug.
"How come you're home?" Ianto asked.
"A friend did a favour. Let's go to bed first. I'm wrecked." Jack explained wrapping an arm around Ianto's waist.
"Fine by me," Imogene muttered and stumbled back to her bed. Jack and Ianto kissed each other again as they went to their bedroom and fell asleep wrapped in each others arms.
"IT'S CHRISTMAS! WAKE UP! WAKE UP AND LET'S GET OUR PRESENTS!"
After what felt like two seconds of sleep, Ianto and Jack were pulled from sleep as Imogene rushed into their bedroom and jumped onto their bed. Ianto moaned and buried his face into his pillow. Jack tried to swat her away bit it was no use. It was like she'd regressed into a five year old. But who didn't on Christmas morning? Jack looked at the alarm clock and the red numbers 4:59 taunted him.
"It's 5 am!" Jack complained.
"So? Come on, come on, come on!" Imogene said bouncing around excitedly.
Ianto climbed out of bed and Jack followed suit. As Ianto flicked the kettle on, Jack and Imogene rummaged under their tree fro presents. Now that he was awake, the excitement of Christmas kicked in strongly. When Ianto came in with cups of coffee and tea there were three piles of presents. Five minutes and a mad frenzy of ripping paper later there were gives where paper once was placed. They were excitedly comparing what they had and Jack went and rummaged in his bag for two extra presents that he had bought for Ianto and Imogene. They were identical cube shaped presents and he handed them to the recipient who tore at the paper.
What the…?
"Jack why do I have a mug that says 'Best Auntie' on it?" Imogene asked.
"And why do I have one saying 'Best Dad' on it?" Ianto asked.
Jack looked at them and smiled serenely. Ianto remembered a jokey flyaway comment Jack had once said to them about his ability to get pregnant. At the time like the others he had dismissed it as one of Captain Jack's Crazy Stories. Only now…
"Oh you are kidding me. Please say you are kidding me." Ianto said.
"Wish I could." Jack said in a slightly sing-song voice.
"Oh this is impossible. Of all the odds it happened." Ianto said slightly faintly as he sat on the sofa.
"What's going on?" Imogene asked.
Jack wrapped his arms around his stomach and smiled. "We're going to have a baby."
Imogene's jaw hit the ground. "A-a-a baby? You mean a baby-baby? A crying, pooping, screaming real life baby?" she stammered over her words. Jack nodded. "Holy crap how is that even possible?"
"I'm from the fifty first century and by then men were able to have children." Jack explained.
"OK, but how are you going to manage a baby with Torchwood? I think those two words aren't meant to be in the same sentence." Imogene said.
"In the past Torchwood operatives have been able to have children. We'll take each hurdle as it comes. The four of us, we're a pretty impossible family as it is at the moment." Ianto replied smiling at jack and moving to hold his hand.
"You want this?" Jack asked, his eyes watering.
"Hey I made my choice when I married you." Ianto smiled and kissed him.
"Hey hang on, don't make it twins!" Imogene said.
"You sound like Owen." Jack commented.
"Man, we must be the most insane family in the world. An immortal pregnant man, his alien fighter husband and his husband's telepathic teenage twin sister," Imogene commented.
"Don't know about you two but I couldn't think of a better family to be a part of. Now let's forget about Baby for a day and celebrate being alive and having each other." Ianto said and they bundled up the wrapping paper as the guys returned to bed and Imogene went to get Ianto's laptop. Despite it being almost six am, most of her friends were online as most of them had siblings or was just a huge child themselves. Imogene grinned as she typed out a status for herself.
Imogene Jones
What a great Xmas! Bro-in-law managed to get home from London in time and just found out I'm going to be an auntie! Merry Xmas everyone xxx
AN: yes I went for an m-preg but they're too much of a temptation to resist! Any hints on where to go next with this story? Should I get rid of Gwen? Or have the Doctor show up? Or bring back John? Your choice so hit that little button under this and let me know. Happy holidays to whatever you are celebrating.