AN: Nice long one for you. Hope you like the surprise. Nannily will already know this because she's awesome so I give her bits and pieces from future writings... -insert evil grin- Which may or may not be published... Anyway... yes... ignore my rambling and go read!
Chapter 13: Five Weeks Later
It was about five weeks later. Gwen was back from her suspension and been put on desk duty, as well as running the tourist centre upstairs, pending mental evaluation. Everyone was at their usual stations doing paperwork or whatever they needed to do, and Ianto was in the Kitchen making coffees, though he wasn't feeling his best today.
Jack was attempting to do paperwork but kept getting distracted by the ill feeling radiating from his partner. He'd tried to dissuade the other man from coming into work today, after all, there had to be some perks for sleeping with the boss. But Ianto had, of course, insisted that he was fine and was going to work. Jack was sure the man would have said the same if he'd been at Death's door. With a mental sigh, Jack got up and wended his way down into the kitchen.
Appearing in the doorway, he stated, "You know I know you're not feeling well Yan. Come on, go lie down for a bit. We can cope without you and your delicious coffee for an hour or so." Owen might not be able to but Jack had a sneaking suspicion the medic had a severe caffeine addiction and was attempting to wean him off the stuff. It wasn't working as well as he'd hoped but the Captain was persistent.
Jack offered his partner a warm smiled and wandered over to press a tender kiss to his forehead. "Please. I hate seeing you sick or in pain, you know I do."
Ianto turned as Jack came over and gave him a wan smile. "I know cariad, but I'll be ok. No pain, just feel a little off." He turned into Jack, then had to clutch at him as he went dizzy. "Woah. Moved too fast." He muttered.
Jack gazed down at him in concern. "We're going to see Owen. Now." His tone brooked no room for argument.
Ianto sighed and nodded. Now he was immortal like Jack, he shouldn't be ill, so maybe something was wrong. He let Jack lead him to the med bay and yell for Owen. Owen shooed Jack to the side and ran some tests on Ianto, taking some blood too. About ten minutes later he got the results, and he frowned. "That can't be right."
Jack was at his side instantly having only been hovering on the catwalk. "What? What is it! What's wrong?"
Owen handed Jack the results. "According to this... Ianto is..." He swallowed shaking his head "But he can't be."
Jack scanned the results and glanced up at his partner, eyes wide. "But that's... impossible... He can't be!" These words were directed at Owen, but his eyes had never left Ianto's face.
Ianto looked at them. "What?" He all but shouted. He was getting panicky now.
Owen blinked at the other man. "Oh... um..." The normally verbose Doctor was at a loss for words. "I don't know how to say this..." Jack took his partner's hand, looking shocked and elated by turns. "You're... pregnant." He finally muttered, gazing down at Ianto with utmost tenderness and devotion. "We're going to have a baby." His tone was awed.
Ianto blinked. "Pregnant?" When Jack and Owen nodded Ianto looked at them. "Oh" was all he said before he passed out.
"Ianto!" Jack called, panicking until Owen said he'd just fainted. "He's fine Harkness... well... apart from being bloody pregnant that is." Owen muttered the last bit under his breath. Already the medic had accepted the news with only the alacrity that someone came by with working for Torchwood. After all, this wasn't the weirdest thing they'd ever seen. Actually... compared to some things, this was relatively normal.
Ianto came too about twenty minutes later. Owen had gone to do some research and find out how. Ianto sat up with a groan. "Jack?"
Jack smiled down at the Welshman. "Hey love, how're you feeling?" He asked, running the backs of his fingers down Ianto's cheek. His smile was warm and full of love.
"What?" He started then it came back to him. "Let me start again. How?"
The smile never faded. "When two people love each other very much…" He started teasingly and then sobered slightly. "That's something we don't know... but Yan..." Now it did fade a little. "Aren't you happy?" After the conversation they'd had a few months ago about children, Jack would have thought the other man would be ecstatic.
Ianto looked at Jack. "I'm just processing it" He took Jack's hand. Owen chose to come over then. "I've worked out how. Remember when Ianto was turned into a woman? Well looks like it didn't change you back properly."
Jack frowned, confused and squeezed Ianto's hand. "What do you mean Owen?"
Owen sighed. "It seems that it left Ianto with the ability to carry children, just not deliver them."
"So... he's got a... womb?" Jack asked, sounding half fascinated, half hopeful. If Ianto had a womb that meant that his body was... temporarily at least, built to carry a child. "So... this won't... endanger him?"
Owen nodded. "He'll be fine. Looks like when he was made immortal like you, he was made more like you than we thought." Ianto sighed. "Thank you Owen." He'd heard enough. Owen nodded and left. Ianto looked down placing his hand on his stomach, which was flat for now.
Jack placed his hand over Ianto's with a broader grin than ever. "We're having a baby!" He repeated his words from earlier sounding excited, amazed, awed and elated.
Ianto looked up and nodded. "We're having a baby." He stood and wrapped his arms around Jack, then kissed him.
Jack kissed him back heatedly, pulling the Welshman closer. "We're having a baby," he whispered. It seemed they were the only words he could say as he kissed Ianto again.
Owen, of course, picked that time to come back again. "Oh for... HARKNESS!" He barked. "Get your tongue outta my patient's throat. Jones, I need blood samples."
Ianto kissed Jack again then sat back down. "Okay, get it over and done with." Owen went to draw the blood but sight of it made Ianto feel sick.
Jack claimed Ianto's attention away from the needle by kissing him again. Owen sighed loudly, but allowed it, seeing as it helped calm his friend. He drew back a little, cupping the Welshman's face between both hands. "Look at me Yan. Keep your eyes fixed on me."
Ianto kept his eyes on Jack. The sick feeling didn't fade but it didn't get worse. "I really don't feel too good." He muttered.
"I know you don't Yan." Jack stroked his face tenderly. "It'll pass, just keep breathing deeply." Owen took the blood sample away to be analysed. Coming back minutes later Owen smiled for the first time. "Well Ianto, I can tell you that you're about six weeks along. You're physically fit and you have enough remnants of a female reproductive system, womb etc. that I can foresee no reason why anything should go wrong. Congratulations mates."
Ianto nodded and leant against Jack trying to breathe through the nausea. He turned his head so he could hear what Owen was saying and nodded. "Thanks Owen." He rested back against Jack. He'd felt like this once before when he was a woman and his hormones were out of whack.
The Captain rubbed his stomach comfortingly. "Owen? Can you give him anything for the nausea?" The medic shook his head. "There is medication... certain compounds in those drugs can be harmful for foetal development so I'd really rather not unless it can't be helped." He smiled apologetically. "Sorry mates. Ianto you'll just have to grit your teeth and bear it."
Ianto sighed. "Just my luck." He then Lent back to look at Jack. "What are we going to do when I start showing? People aren't used to seeing a pregnant man."
Jack had already thought of that and pulled a plain looking house key on a looped piece of string out his back pocket. "Already ahead of you Yan." He grinned and passed it to Ianto. There was a small-ish piece of what looked like a microchip welded to the back of it. "I have this." His grin widened further.
Ianto frowned and looked at it. "What is it?" It didn't look like one of Tosh's devices and he'd never seen it before.
"Perception filter," Jack beamed like a kid at Christmas. "It's a part of the TARDIS to be exact."
"So... what? It'll hide me or just the bump?" He asked turning it over in his fingers.
"Whichever you like... it'll just need to be recalibrated if you want to only hide your stomach which will be easy enough. And we have time." Jack hugged him and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "So... want to tell the others?" He asked softly.
Ianto smiled. He'd rather just hide the bump and if anyone asked why he was walking funny he could say it was a bad back. "Yeah, let's go tell the others." A thought occurred to him and he groaned.
Jack, who had moved ahead, was back at his side in a flash. "Ianto? What is it? What's wrong? Are you in pain?" He sounded like a first time parent, fluttering about his spouse with panic in his eyes. Owen, watching them, wished he could record that moment.
Ianto smiled. "I'm fine. Just realised that I'm going to have to drink decaf."
"O...oh..." Jack's eyes widened and he gazed at his partner with a touch of fear. This would not be fun.
Ianto saw and felt the fear. "Great Jack. Just the support I'll going to need."
Ianto. Jack switched to mental communication. I know you feel like crap right now, but trust me, it passes. And... The mental equivalent of a sigh. You know I didn't mean it like that. Ianto could feel him, was part of him. It was impossible to hide anything, not that Jack wanted to. This incredible man knew him, inside out and out. Ianto knew his faults and his dark history and loved him despite them.
Owen watched them with interest. He'd noted these... periods. One or the other or both of them would go still and they appeared to be having a silent conversation. Maybe they were...
Ianto sighed. I'm sorry Jack. I know it'll pass, I'm just scared shitless. I don't need you being afraid of me too. I need you.
Oh Yan... Jack pulled him close and kissed his forehead. "I'm not scared." He whispered. "Simply a little bit worried about seeing a caffeine deprived Ianto Jones." You'll be okay. Owen's the best doctor I know, he whispered through the younger man's mind. And he said that nothing will go wrong. I trust him. And no, I'm not repeating that out loud because he's right there and will hear me. He grinned down at Ianto. "And besides, you're amazing. You've got me and the team to help you. Nothing will go wrong. I promise."
Owen, who was close enough to hear the low voiced conversation, was confused. It was like he was only hearing one half of a telephone conversation... "Jack's right mate. Nothing will go wrong."
Ianto hid against Jack. Even being in Torchwood, this was weird for him. "I know that. Just not looking forward to withdrawal symptoms, hormones and morning sickness." He replied softly. he sighed and straightened his jacket. "Better go let the girls know now, or they'll wonder why I'm stuck on desk duty now."
Would you like me to go with you? Jack asked as Owen offered his friend a sympathetic grimace. "Good luck with that mate."
Ianto pulled a face at Owen. Can you tell them? He asked Jack. He wasn't sure how they were going to take it.
Owen offered him a rather crude hand gesture in return. "Want me to do it?" He offered suddenly. "I mean, I can guess what you two are talking about... and maybe it'd come better from a doctor..."
Ianto frowned at Owen, wondering if he'd heard them talking. He looked at Jack, it was down to him.
Owen rolled his eyes. "No, I can't hear you," he stated, guessing what Ianto was thinking. "But it's pretty bloody obvious that you and our fearless leader are having conversations. I mean, really. You both go silent for a while and then appear to have reached an agreement... it's even worse when you mix it. Do you know how annoying it is, only being able to hear half a conversation?" It was a rhetorical question; the medic didn't really require an answer.
Jack tilted his head and regarded the medic thoughtfully. "You're a lot smarter than people give you credit for Owen Harper. Also a lot kinder. Thank-you but I think it would feel more... right coming from either Ianto or myself. However, if you would consent to come along to answer any questions the girls might have?"
Owen grumbled at the "kind" crack but assented. "As long as you agree to never call me "nice" or "kind" again Harkness."
"Well it's creepy, so stop guessing." Ianto said good naturedly and looked at Jack. It was now or never. He got up and smoothed his suit down. "Shall we?" He said, still nervous. He knew that they were all used to weird things, but would this be too weird for the girls? He hoped Jack would be the one to tell them.
Jack waved a hand dismissively in Owen's direction and then gestured for him to lead on. "Yes I'll tell them Yan." He agreed, pulling the younger man close and nuzzled his neck. "Stop worrying."
Ianto smiled. "Thank you." He whispered, enjoying what Jack was doing to his neck. Jack knew that it turned him on though, so he better stop. Gwen and Tosh were sitting at Tosh's station, chatting, wondering what was going on.
Grinning, Jack kissed him softly and then pulled away. Well... sort of. He laced his fingers across Ianto's stomach and rested his chin on his shoulder from behind. "Girls." He nodded pleasantly and they both smiled back and said hello. Owen had gone over to stand near them and was casually leaning over Tosh, one hand resting softly on her shoulder. Gwen smiled at both couples pleasantly although she avoided meeting Ianto's eyes. "So," she asked quietly. "What's going on?"
Ianto wrapped his arms across and around Jack's. He liked standing like this with Jack, or even Standing behind Jack pressed up against his back, but at some point in the next few months they Jack wouldn't be able to reach round, and he wouldn't be able to press up against Jack. That thought left him with a slight sense of loss, but he tightened his hand on Jack's as he knew Jack would have felt that emotion.
Jack ran a thumb comfortingly over Ianto's hip. "Gwen." He nodded to her. "Toshiko." Another nod, the tone he'd used warmer than with Gwen. She still wasn't forgiven. "We..." He started. "That is... Ianto and I..." He stopped again. God, this was harder than he'd thought. "We... we're going to have a baby." He blurted out finally.
Ianto took comfort from Jack's touch and listened as Jack tried to say what was going on. Tosh's face lit up and she let out a tiny happy squeal, but Gwen just looked confused. "Do you mean you're going to adopt? With this job are you mad? Plus you'll both outlive the kid poor thing."
Jack gritted his teeth and turned to her saying slowly. "No, Gwen, we're not "going to adopt"." He left it at that. Tosh's eyes widened in understanding. "You mean... Really though?" With another happy squeal she shot to her feet, almost whacking Owen in the face and Jack moved out of the way so the computer genius could fling her arms around Ianto. "Congratulations!"
Ianto hugged her back surprised. "Thanks Tosh." He said softly. Tosh pulled back and looked at them. "Which one of you...?" She left the question open, then Gwen suddenly got it. "That's just... that's not natural!" She said with disgust in her voice. Her previous words had hurt, and now... Ianto turned and left the room before he burst into tears in front of everyone. Damn hormones.
Jack growled and stalked towards her. "I'd watch your mouth Cooper! That's my husband you're talking about." For an instant he looked as if he were about to strike her but instead dismissed her in a single glance. And with that he hurried after Ianto to offer comfort and support.
Tosh and Owen rounded on their colleague and spoke as one. "You really need to get over yourself Gwen." They glanced at each other and smiled before Tosh hurried after the boys and left Owen ranting at their probably soon to be ex workmate.