Henry grabbed the handle by the car window. He snapped, "I believe you have been watching Captain Harkness drive for too long, Joe."
"I don't want you to miss your train," Fish insisted, taking the corner faster than he should've.
"You're the one who requested I take the earlier departure so you could go into the Hub," he said, annoyed.
"I know how important it is for you to see Tom," Fish said, swerving.
"He's not particularly interested in seeing me when he comes to Britain these days," Henry said, equally annoyed.
Shortly after Ianto and Jack's wedding, Tom began making frequent short visits. At first, Tom had told his father and Fish that he was finally taking advantage of Henry's long standing offer to pay for him to fly anytime to see him. Henry was, of course, overjoyed to have his son visit so often. In fact, he was now seeing more of Tom than he did when they'd lived on the same continent albeit on different coasts. The numerous short trips quickly became suspicious, especially when Tom stopped spending those visits in their guest room. It didn't take Henry long to put two and two together… or rather one and one - Thomas Blount and Alice Carter. Henry had been quite wounded that his son had not only lied to him but had kept his happiness from him.
There'd been some shouting and some harsh words and even some tears but they'd worked it out. Henry still paid for Tom to fly to the UK and Tom spent as much time as he could with Henry and Fish whenever he came to Cardiff, but Alice was the main reason for his visits. It was mostly smoothed over but there were still frequent disagreements and some disappointment all around. Fish sometimes felt in the middle of it all, mediating between his fiancé and his friend.
Fish snickered. "Don't be offended that he's more interested in getting his leg over than seeing his father."
"Thank you for that image, Joe," Henry said, annoyed. "I hope these distractions at work have taken Jack's mind off of the same."
Fish quirked his mouth, remembering Jack's annoyed look when he'd mentioned Henry's trip. "He likes Tom. Certainly better than he liked Alice's ex-husband. Tom's good with Steven."
"Tom certainly hasn't gotten that impression," Henry said, surprised.
"Do you think any father likes the idea of someone dating his daughter? No matter how nice the bloke is?" Fish asked.
"Point," Henry said. He heaved out a sigh. "I believe things have become quite serious. Tom is considering emigrating."
"Really?" Fish said, waiting for a light to change. "He'd be sacrificing his pension wouldn't he?"
"He's able to take his own contribution with him," Henry said, disappointed. "It would likely be enough for him to relocate and live without employment for a short time."
Since Henry would outlive his son, there was no possibility of his wealth passing to Tom. So, Henry considered his money to be Tom's and was more than willing to give Tom any financial assistance he wanted. He may be more than happy to pay for Tom to fly back and forth to see Alice but Fish knew that it was a sore point for Tom. He was a responsible adult who disliked taking money or charity from anyone, especially his own father. He may be accepting the plane tickets but he would never allow Henry to support him after he moved even though Henry would be more than willing to do so.
"I believe his frustration with recent police budget cuts has significantly influenced his decision," Henry said. He shifted a bit. "He has not yet taken any steps but has asked, in passing, if Torchwood could influence the Border Agency."
Fish whistled, low. He had created Jack Harkness out of thin air for Ianto so that he and Jack could legally marry. A few taps on his keyboard is all that it would take to make Tom a full and legal citizen of the UK. Tom didn't know that, obviously, but he knew that the organisation Fish worked for had tremendous pull. It put Fish in a strange situation. Firstly, there were limits to how much he could abuse Torchwood's autonomy and, well, the reason Tom wanted to come to the UK was his boss's daughter.
"He's going to have to talk to Jack about that. What would he do here? Could he work with the police? I could have Gwen-"
"The legal and police system here are quite different. If Tom wished to work for the police here, he would have to start at the beginning," Henry said, disappointed.
Fish winced. "Is there something else he can do here? Private security?"
"He is looking into all avenues," Henry said, looking out his window.
"I can mention something to Gwen," Fish said and Henry shook his head.
"I do not believe Tom wishes Jack to know of his intentions as of yet," Henry said.
"Gwen wouldn't say anything, Henry, if I asked her not to… wait… his intentions?" The pieces slotted together in Fish's mind. Concerned, he asked, "He isn't popping the question this week, is he?"
Henry closed his eyes, inwardly berating himself for the slip.
"Don't you think it's a bit early for that?" Fish said, concerned. He was also a bit hurt that Tom hadn't mentioned something to him. He and Tom were close friends.
"I have already advised Tom of that fact. Their relationship is long distance and complicated. They've not been dating long. They're both divorcees. There's a child involved." Henry shook his head. "My son is quite impulsive; a trait he has inherited from his mother. I strongly advised him to request Jack's permission before asking for Alice's hand."
Fish chuckled a bit. "That's very quaint of you, Henry, but that kind of gesture might go over Jack's head."
He was the last person who should speak up about someone's relationship moving too quickly. He was happy for his… well… stepson would probably be a bit of a stretch since Tom was only a few years younger than him. Then again, he and Henry weren't married so, technically, Tom wasn't his stepson. The thought reminded Fish of something. When he'd gone to visit Henry, he'd thrown the subject of their own marriage into his lover's court. He'd done the proposal before and he'd decided that, this time around, he'd like to be asked. But they'd been living together for two years now and no proposal had come. Fish felt a bit disappointed and then remembered his lover's penchant for sloth.
Whenever Henry wanted to figure out how to say something complicated, the man usually sat in silence for a long time while he figured out what to say. Likely, he was still planning his proposal. Fish knew it would be spectacular. He reached across, taking Henry's hand in his. Just like when Henry was working out what to say, Fish would wait patiently. Not for the first time, he wondered how his life had ended up like this. He was working for a secret alien organisation and sharing his bed and life with another man… and he wouldn't change it for anything. Henry turned to him and they shared a loving smile. He parked the car outside of the railway station and got out to help Henry with his things.
"You said Tom's staying two weeks?" Fish asked.
Henry nodded. "He's investigating employment prospects. Alice is objectionable to leaving Wales but Tom believes he will have more options in London. He does want to investigate more throughly here."
"Does Alice know he wants to relocate?" Fish asked.
Henry nodded again. "She does. I'm unsure of her feelings on the matter. Again, Joe-"
"I won't say anything to Jack." Fish asked, hugging his lover, "You'll ring when you get to London?"
"And as often as I can," Henry replied. "You promise won't work too hard? That you'll rest and eat properly?"
Fish smiled. Henry was always worrying about his diet and his sleeping habits. He buried his face in Henry's neck. Though the likelihood of Fish losing Henry was far lower than Henry losing Fish, Fish still worried about his lover. London was a big city and dangerous for an immortal of the Game. The changes of him facing a challenge were greater. There were a lot of things that scared Joseph Fischer but the only thing that truly brought terror up in his chest was the thought of losing Henry. "Promise… promise me you'll be careful?"
"I promise," Henry replied.
Henry let go of Fish, dragging him in for a deep, long kiss. "I love you, Joe."
"I love you too," he replied. "I'll miss you."
"And I you, love."
Henry bent down, picking up his case. He might dislike Fish's driving habits, but Fish had gotten him here just in time. They shared one last kiss before Henry boarded the train. An elderly woman was trying to get herself up onto the train with her bag. Henry stopped and put down his own things.
"Allow me, ma'am," he said. He politely held out his hand.
"Oh, thank you, young man," she said, brightly. "Such a gentlemen. A rare quality in today's young people."
Henry smiled. This woman had no idea that she was the younger of them. Once she was up on the train, Henry turned for his things to see Fish holding them up. Henry took them from him, bending down to kiss him one more time.
"I'll see you soon," he said, a bit sad.
"I love you," Fish said again.
Henry kissed him again. "I love you too. I'll ring when I get to London."
With regret, Henry turned away to find his seat. Fish was supposed to accompany him on this trip, but as was nearly always the case, Torchwood had changed their plans. He put his luggage into the overhead rack and then sat down. As the train pulled away from the station, Henry leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. He must have dozed off because when the train lurched, his head snapped up. He rubbed at his neck, stiff from the awkward angle. He checked his watch. He had dozed off but not for long. The train was still in Wales. He took out his wallet. Even though he disliked photographs, he still carried some. He dug out a picture a stranger had taken during Tom's last visit to the UK. It was him and Joe along with Tom, Alice and Steven, all standing in front of the Wales Millennium Centre.
"They're lovely," an elderly woman sitting across the aisle from him. It was the same woman he'd helped onto the train.
It took Henry a moment to realise she was speaking to him. "Who?"
"Your family, young man," she said, pointing at the mobile. "Take it from an old woman. Family is what is important in this life."
Henry smiled. "You're quite right."
"Amelia Taylor," the woman said as she held out a gnarled hand.
Henry shook it gently. "Henry Blount. Lovely to make your acquaintance Mrs. Taylor."
"And yours, my dear," she said. She leaned in to get a better look at the picture. "Is the boy yours or your husband's? He has your husband's look. What is it they call what you people do these days? Surrogates?"
Henry's smile broadened at the woman's nosiness. Steven, instead of standing with Tom and Alice, was standing next to Henry. He was surprised a woman of her age though Steven belonged to him and Fish not to Alice and Tom.
"This is my half brother," Henry said, giving the usual lie easily, "and his girlfriend. The boy is hers from a previous marriage."
The woman made a scoffing noise. "Families are so complicated these days. He's a strapping young lad. Your husband is quite handsome," she said, smiling at the picture.
"We're not married," Henry corrected, smiling.
"Well what are you waiting for!" she admonished. "I met my William in 1950, God rest his soul. We were both eighteen. Love at first sight."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Henry said, honestly.
"Don't be, my dear boy. I'll follow him along soon. Fifty long years we had together," she said with a smile. "You should marry that man of yours. The years, they pass in the blink of an eye. You young people never understand that either."
Henry smiled again. "Have you any children, Mrs. Taylor?"
"Oh yes, three daughters," she said. She dug in her purse and produced pictures. "Eight grandchildren."
"They're a lovely family. You are indeed blessed," he said.
He missed the woman's reply. A small commotion up the train aisle caught his attention. He craned his neck to get a look. A woman was walking to the far end of the carriage, away from where Henry was seated. She was holding a bag in her hand, calling after a man who was rapidly walking away from her.
"Sir! You left your bag!" she shouted.
He shook his head, the man was ignoring the woman and continuing on. Rude… He thought to himself. The nosy woman next to him was craning her neck as well.
"How rude," she said, echoing Henry's thought.
"Indeed," he said.
Henry leaned into the aisle to get a better look. The woman tapped the man on the shoulder and his hood fell back and Henry blanched. The man was no man at all. He was some sort of creature! His head bald and covered in horns. There were gill like slits all over his neck. An alien!
Henry dug for his mobile and activated the camera, glad now that his lover had insisted upon the more modern mobile telephone. He snapped a few pictures and then immediately texted them to Fish. Once the picture had gone through, he sent another text to his lover, describing the strange situation.
Other passengers had noticed the strange man and there were screams and shouts as people started to try to dart out of the train carriage. A man ended up stumbling and falling into Henry's lap and Henry dropped his mobile. He pushed the man off of him and crouched down, feeling on the floor for his mobile and, more importantly, his coat with its concealed sword. The crush of people at his end of the carriage was growing. Henry saw smoke coming from the bag in the creature's hands. By Heaven! All these people!
He looked around for his Watcher, Ashley Greenfield, but didn't see her. His heart plummeted with guilt. Ashley may not be in his carriage but she was on this train. Henry looked at the elderly woman again. The strange situation didn't seem to faze her in the slightest. She was sitting in her seat, looking at the pictures in her hand. Henry saw calm on her face. She was sad as she looked at him.
"It looks like I'll be seeing my William sooner than I thought," she said. She was shifting in her seat, trying to block him from harm. "I'm so sorry for you, my dear boy. If you get behind me…"
"We're going to get out of here, Mrs. Taylor," he said, pushing through the people to the window past her.
"Do not concern yourself with me," she said, tugging at his sleeve. "I'm an old woman. I've lived a long life."
"And you will continue to live it," he said, firmly.
Henry elbowed the train window but it was plastic and held firm. He thought of trying for his sword but the crush of people was too much. He'd never get the leverage he needed to smash the window. The other passengers had started to scream. The panicked hoard couldn't escape and the carriage was rapidly filling with smoke. Henry tried to push past them, to get to the alien and his device but the panicked people had trapped him. He was going to die and there was no way to use his death to prevent that of others. Henry stood up next to Mrs. Taylor, trying to shield her from the press of the other people. He heard her praying softly. Henry closed his eyes, drowning out the screams around him. There was no way to ensure he would survive this wreck. If a piece of debris decapitated him, Henry would die permanently. Was there another immortal on the train? Would everything he was scatter on the winds? Fish and Tom appeared in his mind, a memory of the three of the eating dinner one evening. Another memory, holding his arms out as Tom wobbled towards him, taking his first steps. He squeezed his eyes closed at the memory of last night. Fish was laying beneath him, flushed from their love making. I love you… It was the last thing Henry thought as the train heaved upwards, the heat enveloped him and the world went dark.