As February progressed into March life had settled down for the team. The rift was behaving itself most of the time. Gwen was absorbed in her wedding plans. Jack was moaning about a bump which he as certain just appeared overnight. It had been four months since he'd gotten pregnant and it was developed as a six month old. Ianto was reassuring his husband. Martha and Mickey had arrived in Cardiff and were working for Torchwood full time. Jack had moved the three of them into a townhouse that he owned in the cities suburbs. With three bedrooms it meant Imogene and the baby could have their own space, something the teenager was the most happy about. Imogene had taken her February modules and her focus was now on the school's musical.
Oakwood was doing a performance of 'Blood Brothers' and after auditioning along with about a hundred other kids, Imogene was given the role of Linda which meant although it was one of the main female parts after Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons she didn't have a big singing part. The first rehearsals were mainly read-throughs and trying to put on a halfway decent Liverpool accent. Imogene had to admit she was proud to get to play Linda because she didn't think she was much of a singer but the only song she had to sing in was 'Kids game' which was based on the sort of rhymes and games you would have played in primary school like Cops and Robbers. The rehearsals were after school until six and it was good fun. Three of the Sixth Formers were doing Drama for their A Level and were using the musical as part of their course. The two girls were playing Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons and the boy was playing Mr Lyons so for their practical assessment they performed the scene were Mrs Johnstone gets fired in front of the assessor and the rest of the cast.
As the weeks passed in a blur of school, rehearsals, revising for the second modules and weekends doing homework and helping co-ordinate any retrievals with Jack in the hub it came as a shock for Imogene to realise one morning that it was actually the middle of June. This fact only fully came to light when she sat down in the sports hall to do her maths exam. Now forget all the stuff from what Torchwood faced to her accident in January. That maths exam was Imogene's example of a real unmitigated disaster! From confusing questions to diabolical equations, the test was an onslaught of brain-aching horror and was evidence of how badly the students had revised. The Fourth years walked out of the hall after doing the calculator and non-calculator paper comparing answers and moaning about the hardness of the test.
"Hey at least you lot revised! I haven't opened my book all freaking year!" Imogene said.
"No I did the worst. I left half the questions in the non-calculator. I've failed." Oscar replied.
"If I ever see an algebra question for the next twenty years I'll scream the city down." Meagan vowed.
"I didn't even have a calculator with me, my brat of a little brother broke it!" Shaun said and got a mix of sympathy and scorn.
As they discussed the test their maths teachers looked at them and asked them what they think. When the students discussed how difficult the exam had been the teachers just smiled and said that they had seen harder tests and reminded them to go to their next class. Imogene pulled a face.
"They would say that." Imogene said as she and Oscar walked to their history class.
"They're probably laughing at us right now." Oscar replied.
The double period of history class was almost relaxing as Ms Lynch let them watch a DVD on Nazi Germany. Imogene preferred history and drama out of all her subjects. She loved showing off and acting the fool and Jack was able to tell her anything about Nazi Germany because he'd been there and seen the rise of Nazism and the terrors that led to. When school finally finished Imogene and the rest of the cast were rehearsing 'Blood Brothers' as the opening night was only a week away. From going over songs, lines and some of the Sixth Years doing prompting and scene changes the show was pulling together very nicely. The play was going to be on over three nights. Ianto and Tosh promised they would be there for the opening night while the others kept an eye on the hub and on Jack. His due date was only a month away and Imogene was really excited although she already knew something about the baby that the others didn't. Neither Jack nor Ianto wanted to know the gender of the baby so Owen and Martha hadn't pushed them into finding out. The first performance was going to be on Wednesday and running until Friday. On Wednesday after school the cast were allowed to go home and be back at the school for half six and the musical was starting at half seven.
Imogene returned to the flat and looked at the note left on the kitchen table.
Tosh and I will hopefully be there around quarter past seven. Jack and Baby say break a leg tonight. Pizza in the freezer if you want anything to eat. See you later I.
That evening Imogene was in the gym with the rest of the cast and crew. Some of the teachers were doing makeup and the stage crew were clad in black ensuring props were ready to go onstage and making sure the backdrop was set. The Gym was next to the assembly hall and the double doors in the corridor dividing them were shut to the audience and cast. Only the teachers and stage crew were allowed to pass through them. The girls were changing in the girls toilets on the ground floor and the boys were using Ms Patterson's classroom to get changed but were throwing French dictionaries around instead. Finally it was time to go. The sixth years playing the narrator and Mrs Johnstone took their places on stage. All too soon Imogene and the students playing the kids were running on stage with toy guns and Imogene holding a metal bin lid chanting 'nah, nah, nah!' repeatedly. After the song 'Kids Game' they acted out how the three kids, Mickey, Eddie and Linda get caught trying to smash windows and how both the Lyons were moving to the country and both Mickey and Linda's families were moving to a new town before the interval.
Backstage Imogene changed into a black skirt and a white polo top to show a school uniform and chatted to some of the people who were getting make up redone or getting a drink from what the teachers were providing. As the curtains drew up the play begun the second act of the musical where Mickey and Linda get suspended from school and meet up with Eddie again. As well as the scenes where the trio their teenage years together before Eddie leaves for university and everything goes wrong and culminates in the play's tragic ending. The curtains were drawn and the cast grouped onstage to do a bow and do a chorus of 'Devil's got your number', 'Tell me it's not true' and 'Kids game' to roaring applause from the audience. The cast rushed off stage thrilled the first night was over.
But for Imogene the best bit of the night was yet to come. As everyone changed into their civilian clothes and cheered as the principal allowed them to come into school at half ten the morning after each performance and the drama, music and dance teachers praised them for a faultless performance. Imogene rummaged in her bag to ring Ianto to see where he was waiting on her.
"Hey where are you? I'm ready to go." Imogene asked.
"Oh my God Imogene we clean forgot about your play!" Ianto replied sounding genuinely shocked.
"Why? Don't tell me work came first Ianto Jones." Imogene snapped, her temper rising. He knew tonight was important.
Ianto paused and Imogene could hear voices in the background. "Listen sis, just come home right now and we'll explain it there." Ianto replied.
Imogene hung up and walked out of the school and wandered through the streets until she came home. As she turned into her street she noticed Gwen and Owen's cars outside her house as well as the SUV and picked up her pace, running down the road and rummaging for her key to open the door. Worry filled Imogene as she wondered if something terrible had happened. The house was filled with chatter and it seemed that the team were there having a piss up for no reason. Imogene walked into the living room and froze.
"Oh. My. God." Imogene whispered as she took in the sight before her.
Earlier that evening…
Ianto and Jack had been going over a report so Ianto and Tosh could finish up so they could go and see 'Blood Brothers' when Jack winced and held onto his swollen stomach. The little one was kicking up a storm today and his back had been killing him. As they worked on Jack doubled over in agony. This wasn't just the baby kicking and Ianto didn't have to be told. Abandoning the reports he helped Jack down to the med bay where Owen and Martha were chatting casually.
"It's time." Ianto said.
"It's too early!" Martha tried to argue but another contraction made Jack double over. The two medics jumped into action preparing scalpels and Ianto helped Jack strip and cover him with a sheet. The noises from the med bay attracted Mickey, Tosh and Gwen who stared transfixed as Jack swore in pain and Owen numbed his lower body and began the C-section.
"It's really happening." Jack said.
"Can you feel anything?" Ianto asked as he held onto his husband's hand. Jack shook his head.
"Oh my God," Martha muttered. "This has just got a little more complicated."
"I didn't see that on the scans." Owen replied.
"Why? What's wrong?" Ianto asked his stomach clenching. Please let this child be alright.
"It's nothing we can't handle, promise." Owen replied as he and Martha operated.
After two hours Owen pulled out a baby and cut the cord. A piercing wail rent the air and Martha wrapped it in a towel before handing it to Ianto. "It's a girl." Martha smiled. Ianto stared at his daughter and showed her to Jack who gave a doped-up grin. He had been given a slight excess of drugs and was halfway to being off his head high.
"Ready for round two Jack?" Owen asked.
"What?" Jack asked and they all fell silent as Owen pulled out the second child and cut the cord. Again Martha wrapped it in a blanket and handed it to a shell shocked Ianto.
"It's a boy." Martha smiled.
"Twins," Ianto breathed.
"Twins," Jack echoed.
"Twins?" the others asked in a chorus.
This was confirmed by the two crying bundles in Ianto's arms. He nursed them both as Martha and Owen stitched up Jack before taking the babies and scanning them. Ianto took a hold of Jack's hand and squeezed it.
"Twins," he whispered.
"Typical of us, against the odds we have twins." Jack murmured.
"It's fairly amazing." Ianto replied.
Owen and Martha dressed the babies in tiny all in ones and handed them back to Jack and Ianto saying that although they were premature they were in perfect health. The others took turns holding the babies and making a fuss over them whilst Jack and Ianto discussed names. Because they didn't want to know the gender, they had looked at different names. They came to their agreement for their children and they decided it would be better for them to go home so Jack could rest after the operation. Just as they came through the door Ianto's phone rang.
"Hey where are you? I'm ready to go." Imogene asked.
Imogene's play! With all the drama they'd clean forgotten about the school's musical. This wasn't going to be pretty. "Oh my God Imogene we clean forgot about your play!"
"Why? Don't tell me work came first again Ianto Jones." Imogene snapped, her temper rising. Ianto paused knowing from the tone of voice that his sister wasn't happy.
"Listen sis, just come home right now and we'll explain it there." Ianto replied and hung up. He sat down beside Jack on the sofa and took their son to nurse the baby off to sleep. The others were talking about possible names for the babies as the front door opened.
"What happened?" Imogene asked and froze in the doorway of the living room, her gaze firmly on the two bundles and a grin broke out over her face as she rushed over and carefully hugged her brother mindful of the baby and looked at the now-sleeping twins.
"They're so tiny." Imogene said reaching over and taking her niece off Jack.
"They're a month premature but they'll be alright." Owen explained.
"I knew they'd be twins but I didn't think they'd be a boy and a girl." Imogene said.
"We'll head on home," Tosh said.
"We aren't expecting to see any of you for about a week." Martha said and left Ianto, Jack, Imogene and the babies alone. They settled the babies into the nursery and put them in the cot which was big enough for both. Now that the kids had been born Jack and Ianto realised Imogene had been leaving subtle hints. Referring to the unborn babies as 'they', ensuring both male and female clothing was bought and ensuring there was enough nappies and bottles for two babies. The sleeping babies were most likely the most adorable sight any of them had ever seen and one that would never be forgotten. Imogene made coffee and tea and the three of them settled themselves on the sofa to talk.
"Sorry I had to steal the limelight from your show." Jack apologised.
"It's cool. Besides they're filming it for DVDs. You know the way some relatives get all obsessive about their kids being onstage? I'll get a copy for you instead." Imogene replied.
"What a bloody day. You're stealing the spotlight at school and we've become parents." Ianto said rubbing the back of his head.
"I don't care what happens but I swear I am never, ever having another child. Ever!" Jack vowed rubbing his stomach and swallowing his coffee in the one go.
"So what are the sprogs being called?" Imogene asked.
"Well our little lad is being called Alex and the little madam we're calling Listelle." Ianto replied.
"Listelle?" Imogene repeated. She had never heard that name before.
"It's a combination of Lisa and Estelle." Jack explained.
Both he and Ianto had wanted to ensure the memories of the women they had loved in the past still lived on in their lives and they couldn't think of a better way of doing that then naming their baby daughter after them both. Imogene smiled at the idea of being an auntie to Alex and Listelle. She could spoil them rotten. She could teach Alex every curse word she knows and teach Listelle how to kick a guy's ass in a fight. Imogene could be a mixture of aunt and older sister to them as they grew up.
"Alex and Listelle Harkness-Jones, welcome to the family." Imogene said as she got into bed only to be woken at three in the morning by one of them screaming. Imogene moaned and pressed her pillow over her ears and screwed her eyes shut to try and get back to sleep. Just how long did it take for a baby to be able to sleep through the night?