Silver Service by a_silver_story | 27
Title: Silver Service
Author: a_silver_story
Chapter: 27/?
Genre: AU, Romance, Angsty, fluffy
Rating: NC17 / 18
Pairings: Main Pairing is Jack/Ianto. Also includes Ianto/Martha, Ianto/Tosh friendship, Ten/Tosh, Mickey/Martha (mentioned)
Warnings: M.M, rentboy!Ianto, Alternate Universe, torture (not graphic)
Disclaimer: If I owned anything in this, I'd be a rich rich rich bitch. However, I am not a rich rich rich bitch so you may all, therefore, assume I own nothing. Which I don't. It all belongs RTD and the BBC, in case any of you didn't know. Now pass the retcon ...
Summary: Started as a PWP, but since it's me (sorry folks!) and I really can't do things by halves, it grew and grew and grew (and not in an innuendous sort of way). Doctor Smith owns a posh Cardiff hotel, and the respectable Sixth Earl of Boeshane is coming to stay - and he brings with him some very specific demands.
The story follows Ianto from being born, meeting Toshiko and them running away together to the city, right up until Ianto is taken to work in the Doctor's hotel as a 'service' butler for - you guessed it - Jack.
Everyone's fave OTP ensues. BOO YA!
Torchwood Index/Masterlist
FIRST PART | Chapter 1
Ianto pulled the coat further round himself, tugging his hat down over his ears and tightening his scarf a little in the Welsh September chill. His hands shook as he operated the ticket machine, and he breathed into them in an attempt to warm them up, wishing he had gloves.
He would meet Lisa in Llandudno. He had the note that Jack had scribbled in his pocket, as well as a pendant he had bought for her and a card. To his shame and gnawing guilt, he had drugged and sedated Jack, knowing he would be unable to meet her without him following and making a scene. He was sleeping peacefully at the hotel in Cardiff, and would hopefully not even notice Ianto's disappearance.
Finally, his tickets dropped out of the bottom of the machine and he took them out and checked them carefully, a little nervous about taking public transport, let alone taking public transport on his own. He’d never used anything other than a taxi before, so a train was a big step for him. He didn’t think Lisa realised that when she suggested traveling on one.
He had to ask a station guard what platform he needed, explaining that he’d never actually been on a train before and had no idea. He was directed to his platform and left with the conductor that would be starting his shift on Ianto's train so he knew he’d be getting the right one.
The conductor was a middle aged man with large ears and a Bolton accent, wearing a uniform that was a tad too tight and a ticket dispenser on a strap around his neck. He didn’t talk much, just directed Ianto onto the train when it arrived and punched his ticket, wandering off to do the same for everyone else who was boarding.
Ianto leaned back in his seat, having managed to snag an end one with plenty of leg room, and stretched out. He was in a for a long journey, and he only hoped he’d got his measurements of the sedatives right to keep Jack under long enough for him to get there and back without waking and becoming hysterical. Raising his head, he looked out of the window of the train and spotted the clock. Nine in the morning. Hopefully he had time.
~*~*~*~
Ianto discovered he wasn’t too keen on riding backwards. It didn’t make him feel sick, it just made him worry about what he was leaving behind, as he could still see it out of the window for too long afterwards. The air conditioning made him too hot, and he had to take his furry hat off and unbutton his coat. Slowly, the train was making its way north, and filling up as it went. Eventually, it was so full people were standing, and Ianto wondered just how many people were allowed to get on a train before it could refuse to take more.
His wonderings were put to an end by a loud middle-aged man stood by the luggae rack.
“You know - there’s no limit to how many humans you can pack on a train? We could be stuffed in here until we were bursting out the windows and it would still be legal. Cows have more rights than us on trains - there’s a certain amount of cattle per carriage. But humans? Nahhh just stick ‘em all in, regardless of the fact they’ve all paid the same fare. Run a bigger train? Why? It’s not like we haven’t got overstock yards full of empty, brand new and unused carriages. Ohh no wait ... yes. Yes they have.” he grumbled.
A discussion sparked around him as the rights of cattle and other livestock compared to humans on trains, and Ianto phased out, lost in nervous thoughts of what he was going to do when he saw Lisa again. The rhythmic beat of the train’s wheels on the tracks below him and hum of the engines and spit of the pistons was making him tired and sleepy, and twice his head bounced off the window as consciousness tried to evade him. He made a mental note to buy a word search book for the way back so that he wouldn’t fall asleep.
Three stops from his destination, a heavily pregnant woman carrying bags struggled onto the train, and realised that none of the teenagers lolling about on the seats nearer to her were going to give up their spots [no pun intended]. With a sigh Ianto called out to her, and she gratefully took the seat he offered, grimacing as her back twinged. He gave her a reassuring smile.
“I’ve got some aspirin if you want some?”
“Pregnant and asthmatic.” she smiled regretfully.
“Paracetamol? Ibuprofen?”
She blinked. “Are you a walking pharmacy?” she laughed.
He blushed a little. “Always prepared, is all.”
“I’d kill for some paracetamol.” she admitted, and he offered her his water while pulling his little bag of tablets out of his pocket. He gave her the paracetamol blister pack, and she drank two down gratefully.
“Parent?” she asked, handing him the water back.
He shook his head. “Butler.”
Her eyes narrowed at him slightly, then widened in recognition. “Hey! Aren’t you Ian-”
“Shhhh!” he hushed her, though a couple of people looked around. “Er ... don’t ... please.” he practically begged.
She nodded and held her tongue. “Are you ... alright?” she asked carefully.
“Fine. I’m on my way up north to visit some friends.” he explained, though he was now aware of whispers around him on the train. The young woman had placed his face, and others were seemingly recognising him from the news reports, too. He fidgeted where he stood, clinging to a pole connected to the rail as the train swung around a corner.
“You are ... you’re okay, though?”
“I’m fine. More than fine.” he assured her.
She nodded and fell silent, turning to look out of the window awkwardly.
~*~*~*~
At the next stop, most of the train disembarked, and Ianto sat down beside the pregnant woman and stretched his legs out again. There were only about fifteen people left in the carriage, and he felt uncomfortably aware of some of them craning to look at him.
He hadn’t considered he might be recognised. It was the strangest thing - a total stranger asking him how he was, curious looks from random passengers, pitying glances from commuters. He heard one man talking on his phone in Welsh, for some reason thinking that in North Wales he would be the only Welsh speaker on board the train. Ianto flinched as he was referred to as ‘that prostitute’, and glared at the man as best he could.
“What’s he saying?” asked the pregnant woman, noticing the daggers Ianto was throwing in the phone caller’s direction.
“Just ... he’s talking about me. Saying I deserved to be ...” He glanced at her uncomfortably. “... doesn’t matter.”
“Aren’t you going to confront him?”
“No. I have better things to do.”
She smiled. “Well, when you put it that way ...” she shrugged. “Ow!” she groaned, her hand flying to her large belly.
“Are you alright?”
“Just a twinge.”
“You’re not ... y’know ...”
“Oh God, no! If I was going into labour, believe you me, I’d have probably crushed your fingers and several masculine parts of your anatomy in agony.” she smiled.
Ianto gulped.
“My second.” she explained. “Don’t worry - he’s not due for a week or so yet.”
“You got a name for him?”
“I was thinking ... maybe Jack.”
“Oh no! Don’t call him Jack! All boys called Jack turn into little shits. The names ‘Owen’, ‘Connor’, ‘Corey’ and anything you might find on a council estate have the same effect.”
“Jack is the most popular name for boys in the UK.”
“That’s why everything’s going down the pan.” smirked Ianto.
She massaged her belly. “I was also thinking Peter. Or Harry. William ...”
“Nice, sensible names.” nodded Ianto.
“I’m just worried that if I call him William, people might refer to him as ‘Bill’.”
“Just call him ‘Will’ and then no-one will feel inclined to.” shrugged Ianto.
“I suppose.” she nodded. She suddenly laughed at the absurdity of the conversation. “Discussing baby names with a stranger!” she exclaimed. “Not something I planned to do today.”
“Sorry.” Ianto bit his tongue.
“Don’t be, don’t be.” she sighed.
The train began to slow as it pulled into the final station, and Ianto's heart leapt when he saw Lisa waiting for him on the other side of the barrier. He said goodbye to the pregnant woman, whose name he forgot to ask in the end, and hopped off the train. Lisa spotted him and waved, and he practically ran towards her, fumbling for his ticket to get through the barrier as quickly as possible. He pretty much burst through, scooping her up in his arms and holding her tight, burying his face in her shoulder.
Finally he set her down, and she held him close.
“I’m so sorry.” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. Please come home ... please ....”
Ianto stepped back from her, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “I want to, but there’s something you need to understand first. Shall we find somewhere to eat?” he asked.
She gave him a guarded look, bit her lip, then nodded. Clasping his hand, she dragged him out of the station and towards Frankie and Benny’s. They ordered drinks and food, saying very little until the waiter fetched their drinks and set them down. Carefully, Ianto pulled Jack’s note out of his pocket, and pushed it towards Lisa.
Frowning at him, she took it, and her mouth moved ever so slightly as she skimmed over it, her eyes widening.
“Saxon?” she breathed. “He ... drugged ... he did this?”
Ianto nodded slowly, and Lisa buried her face in her hands trying to compose herself. “Should’ve known ... should’ve known ....” she muttered. “... should’ve known ....”
“We couldn’t have.” Ianto assured her.
“Where is he?” she asked.
“I ... sedated him ....” Ianto looked away guiltily. “I wouldn’t have been able to come otherwise! You saw how he was last time he got ... hysterical.”
Lisa frowned a little, but accepted it anyway. “Where did you get the drugs from?” she asked.
“Doesn't matter ..." he mumbled. "Um ... how ... how is Owen?"
"Still unconscious." she sighed heavily. "He's improved, but ... his body underwent a lot of trauma."
Ianto bit his lip.
Lisa took a deep breath, as if readying herself. “Listen ... Ianto ... I ... I love you.”
Ianto clasped her hand on the table. “I love you more.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, searching his face, looking a little frightened.
“What’s wrong? Of course I love you! More than anything ... I ... I want to come home. But ... I have my duty ...”
“I understand .... for now .... now that ... Saxon is a wanker, isn’t he?” she fumed. “You leave this with me - I can get him sorted. I’ll ... I’ll ...”
“Set your mam on him?” Ianto asked, a smile quirking his lips a little.
“That was my plan.” sniffed Lisa, then tried to smile also. Ianto squeezed her hand again, trying to reassure her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“It’s ... promise you ... swear you won’t leave me ....”
“I should be begging you not to do that.” Ianto admitted. “I ... I don’t deserve ...”
“Shut up. I’m talking.” Lisa pouted. “Ianto ... I ... y’know how you were always checking to ... y’know ... remind me to take my pill?”
Ianto blinked.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shit.
“Yeah?” he asked, his voice about three octaves higher than usual.
“Erm ... well, I asked you to stop asking, remember?”
“Mmhmmm.”
Nope. Still too high.
“I think it might have been ... you should have kept asking ...”
He stared at her. “You ... you’re not?”
She nodded, biting her lip.
He felt his mouth drop open slightly. He blinked. He blinked again.
“Well?” pressed Lisa, though she looked more confident than she sounded.
“Well ... I ... that’s ...” Shit! What do I say? For fuck’s sake, Ianto! ... just - whatever you do - do not ask if it’s yours .... “That’s ... erm ... I ... I don’t know how to communicate what I’m feeling into words.” Though ‘blind panic’, ‘pure fear’ and ‘rather nauseated’ did instantly spring to mind ....
“It’s ... it’s good, then?” asked Lisa, hopeful.
“It’s ... unexpected.”
Her face fell. “You ... you don’t want it?”
“I never said that! I ... I just wasn’t ... it’s a shock ...”
She raised an eyebrow.
“A good shock!” he insisted, and ran his hands through his hair.
“You don’t look like you’ve had a good shock.” she replied, narrowing her eyes.
“Bloody hell, Lisa! Give me a chance to process ... I’m gonna be a dad?”
She nodded.
“You’re gonna be a mammy?”
She nodded, smiling.
“We’re gonna have a little person?”
“Yes!” she grinned.
“Right.” Ianto gulped. “Just ... one sec ... I need to go outside and run with traffic, and shout about stuff and ... and ....and hug strangers ...”
She laughed and pulled him back down into his seat. He found himself beaming at her, then his eyes slid to the large glass of white wine stood near where her hand rested on the table. Lisa followed his gaze, then almost glared at him.
“One word, Ianto Jones!” she warned. “This is my last glass of wine for nine months, and I’m going to bloody well savour it! And don’t even start telling me I shouldn’t be eating eggs ....”
“Why shouldn’t you be eating eggs?” frowned Ianto.
“Apparently eggs aren’t ‘recommended for my condition’.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s what everyone keeps saying.” she grumbled.
“Erm ... how many people did you tell before me?”
“Toshiko, Gwen, Rhys, Martha, the girls at work, Barbara, Lois ...”
“So ... everyone knew except me?” he realised, a little hurt.
“I wanted to tell you face to face.” she explained.
Ianto nodded. “Okay, I understand.”
The waiter deposited their food on the table, and Ianto eyed Lisa’s double-egg-topped gammon with a raised eyebrow. “Why couldn’t you eat eggs, again?” he asked, giving the fried eggs a pointed look.
She glowered at him, raising her fork threateningly.
He got the message, remembering the woman on the train’s joke about possibly crushing male genitalia, and left Lisa to her eggs.
~*~*~*~
Ianto sprawled over the couch in the little hotel, his head on Lisa’s lap and his face towards her stomach. He lifted her top a little and kissed the soft skin there before grinning up at her.
“When do you have to be back?” she asked.
“My train leaves in an hour.”
“So little time ....” she sighed.
“It’s a stupid train. It goes all around everywhere and takes hours.”
“Mmm.” she smiled, stroking his hair as he nuzzled her belly again, pressing his lips to her skin. “You do know my womb is lower than that, don’t you?” she mused.
“Yeah ... but I’d do my neck in going lower.” he pointed out.
She gave a small laugh. “How about ... maybe going even lower than that ....” she suggested, giving him a sly smile.
He blinked. “Are you sure?”
“For fuck’s sake, Ianto! I’m pregnant, not porcelain! I need to get laid!”
“Sorry but ... I mean ... I don’t want to go ... y’know ... poking around where I’m not wanted ...”
She sniggered at his phrasing. “Ahhhh Ianto. We can have sex right up until the third trimester.”
“The third what?”
“Trimes - Wikipedia, love.” she sighed, patting his hair. "When ... when will you come and visit again?"
"I don't know, Lisa." he sighed, sitting up so that he could face her. "It's risky as it is. And I got recognised on the train."
"Mmmm." she conceded. "I'm missing you. It's been a month, and I miss you so much ...."
"I ... I have to help him." murmured Ianto. "I have to ... I'll see if I can persuade him to move up to the Big House. That way, I'll be close enough if you need me."
"He hates that house." she told him, a dark look passing over her features. "He won't live there again."
"Why?"
"Ghosts." she said simply, and leaned in to kiss him rather spontaneously. She deepened it, snaking her arms around him, pulling him closer.
~*~*~*~
The meeting had been painfully brief, but there was only so much sedative Ianto could have given Jack without killing him and so much time allotted for travel. Sat on the train, he began the word search activity book he'd bought from the station on his way back, managing to snag a table before the carriage filled.
The train set off, once again filling slowly, and Ianto pretty much ignored everyone around him as he searched out the words in the grids before him. Lisa had told him, what felt like a lifetime ago, that doing these little games would help with his vocabulary, spelling and 'sharpen his wits'. He found he quite enjoyed them, but hadn't done any since his birthday.
Slowly, he became aware of eyes boring into the top of his head, and he raised his eyes to the young man sat opposite him. He quirked an eyebrow, and the man flicked his dark curls out of his eyes.
"Can I help you?" Ianto asked, disequilibreated.
"I should ask you the same thing." the man softly replied, and Ianto searched his face, sure he'd seen him before. He ran his eyes over the casual clothes he wore, his scruffy hair and clean-shaven face.
"Button?" he frowned.
Harold Saxon's service butler. He nodded once to his pet name, and slid a card across the table towards Ianto.
"I don't work for him anymore." Button told him. "But that doesn't mean I'm safe. I'm protected by Faith."
Ianto glanced down at the card. There was an address on it, with a post code for an area he recognised as being in North East Wales..
"But ... Jack said ... he said that ..."
"Things have changed. Time isn't playing out as it should - Saxon interfered when he drugged your Earl. You were supposed to be with Lisa."
Ianto stared at him. "How do you ... wha ... there's ... you ..." he sputtered.
"She will help you. Go to that address."
"Who will help me?"
"Faith."
Ianto blinked, and looked down at the card again, taking Jack's note from his pocket. 'Find Faith' it begged. He looked back up, and jumped.
Button had gone.
None of the other passengers in the carriage seemed to have noticed anything, carrying on with whatever they were doing, and Ianto turned back, blinking hard, wondering if he'd fallen asleep. But no - the card was still on the table. He picked it up carefully and read the address before pocketing it.
~*~*~*~
Ianto felt nervous as he stood in the lift, waiting to be taken to the top floor. He could hardly wait for the lift doors to ping open, and he slipped out of them before they had even properly drawn back. He hurriedly slid his keycard into the lock and pushed open the door, sighing with relief when he saw Jack was still in bed, a pillow cuddled to his chest. He snuffled in his sleep, the sedatives probably wearing off, and leaned into Ianto's touch when he reached out to stroke his hair.
Taking off his coat and jacket, loosening his tie and toeing off his shoes, Ianto climbed onto the bed beside him. He pretty soon found himself enveloped in the Captain's arms, and snuggled a little, feeling safe knowing that when Jack's body was unconscious, the real Jack was more alert. He wanted this to be his Jack that was holding him, and clung to the idea no matter what.
Closing his eyes, he smiled to himself as he thought of Lisa and the baby growing inside her. If he was honest with himself, he never really expected to be a father - nor realised that he wanted to be. He was frightened, but he had time to get over that. He could read books and learn what he could from them, and he could think himself through the situation.
But first, he needed to sort Jack out.
Rolling over, he jumped when two blue eyes met his, bleary but alert.
"You've slept all day." smiled Ianto.
"Where did you go?" he asked.
"No where. I'm right here."
"I can smell someone on you."
Ianto blinked, then remembered his original plan to take a shower and change before Jack woke up. After the meeting with Button on the train ... dammit, he'd forgotten ...
"I hugged Donna before. She came to see how I was." Ianto lied.
"You don't smell like Donna."
Ianto shrugged. "Maybe she changed her perfume?"
Jack's eyes narrowed, and he pulled Ianto closer, resting his cheek on his shoulder. "Tell her it smells nice."
Ianto tried not to let out the breath he'd been holding too loudly. "I will." he promised. "Listen ... Jack ... I've been thinking. Let's go traveling together, yeah? Donna suggested this place ..."
Ianto showed him the card.
"Where is it?"
"I think it's in North Wales."
"Sure. Okay. What is there to do there?"
"I have a friend who'll ... she'll help us to ... she knows the place. She'll be our tour guide, of sorts."
"Alright then." yawned Jack. "Mmmm I'm hungry. Shall we order a pizza?"
"Yeah ... okay. What do you want?"
"Meateor."
"Are you sure? You're not eating enough vegetables ..."
"I'll get chips with it." insisted Jack.
"Chips don't count as vegetables, Jack."
"They do." he scowled.
"They don't."
"In my house they do."
"They really don't." sighed Ianto.
"I'm paying for this room, I'm paying for this meal, and if I say chips are vegetables ...."
He trailed off, meeting Ianto's stony gaze.
"... a salad from room service, then?"
Ianto smiled. "Much better."
"Ianto?"
"Mm?"
"Can I get chocolate milk?"
Ianto groaned. "You're such a child! No, you can't have chocolate milk."
"Why?"
"Because after you have pizza, you'll be having sweets and chocolate. Chocolate milk will just be too much sugar, and there's no way I'm being held responsible for whatever you decide to run downstairs and destroy."
"Fine." Jack scowled.
He lay quietly for a while as Ianto phoned in the order, and when the line was cut he almost bodily lifted Ianto to be closer to him.
"Ianto?"
"No."
Jack bit his lip. "... Ianto?" he tried again.
"No."
"Ianto?"
"NO."
Jack chewed the lip, then took another breath. "Ianto?"
"What?" asked Ianto sharply.
"Can we have sex now?"
Ianto rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, fine ..." he grumbled.
He turned until he was lying on his stomach, pillow under his hips. "Get it over and done with, then." he sighed.
Jack didn't question him twice, and started pulling his and Ianto's clothes down and apart until just the bare essentials were exposed. Foreplay was pretty much dead in their relationship now, and Ianto waited patiently while he was prepared and entered without preamble. Jack grunted and panted above him, and he buried his head into the pillow as he moaned, the Captain's hard thrusts creating enough friction for pleasure as well as angling his penetration just right.
He gasped as he came, and waited for Jack to finish before reaching for the tissues. He tossed the now damp pillow onto the floor, and allowed Jack to scoop him up and cuddle him, burying his head in his neck. He tilted his own head back to give the Captain better access.
"Jack ..." he sighed, wishing he could have his real Jack back. "... Jack ... I've got something I need to tell you ...."
"What is it?" asked Jack nonplussed, kissing his neck in his afterglow. Ianto struggled for what to say, wondering how best to phrase it. In the end, he settled for blunt honestly:
"Lisa's pregnant."
Jack froze.
FIN
Comment if you liked, or if you didn't, or if you're simply feeling type-ish.
In other news, I watched Shark Attack 3 with my sister today. She thought it was made in the seventies it was that bad.
Next Part | Previous Part | Torchwood Index | Request a Convo/Prose Fic
Author: a_silver_story
Chapter: 27/?
Genre: AU, Romance, Angsty, fluffy
Rating: NC17 / 18
Pairings: Main Pairing is Jack/Ianto. Also includes Ianto/Martha, Ianto/Tosh friendship, Ten/Tosh, Mickey/Martha (mentioned)
Warnings: M.M, rentboy!Ianto, Alternate Universe, torture (not graphic)
Disclaimer: If I owned anything in this, I'd be a rich rich rich bitch. However, I am not a rich rich rich bitch so you may all, therefore, assume I own nothing. Which I don't. It all belongs RTD and the BBC, in case any of you didn't know. Now pass the retcon ...
Summary: Started as a PWP, but since it's me (sorry folks!) and I really can't do things by halves, it grew and grew and grew (and not in an innuendous sort of way). Doctor Smith owns a posh Cardiff hotel, and the respectable Sixth Earl of Boeshane is coming to stay - and he brings with him some very specific demands.
The story follows Ianto from being born, meeting Toshiko and them running away together to the city, right up until Ianto is taken to work in the Doctor's hotel as a 'service' butler for - you guessed it - Jack.
Everyone's fave OTP ensues. BOO YA!
Torchwood Index/Masterlist
FIRST PART | Chapter 1
Ianto pulled the coat further round himself, tugging his hat down over his ears and tightening his scarf a little in the Welsh September chill. His hands shook as he operated the ticket machine, and he breathed into them in an attempt to warm them up, wishing he had gloves.
He would meet Lisa in Llandudno. He had the note that Jack had scribbled in his pocket, as well as a pendant he had bought for her and a card. To his shame and gnawing guilt, he had drugged and sedated Jack, knowing he would be unable to meet her without him following and making a scene. He was sleeping peacefully at the hotel in Cardiff, and would hopefully not even notice Ianto's disappearance.
Finally, his tickets dropped out of the bottom of the machine and he took them out and checked them carefully, a little nervous about taking public transport, let alone taking public transport on his own. He’d never used anything other than a taxi before, so a train was a big step for him. He didn’t think Lisa realised that when she suggested traveling on one.
He had to ask a station guard what platform he needed, explaining that he’d never actually been on a train before and had no idea. He was directed to his platform and left with the conductor that would be starting his shift on Ianto's train so he knew he’d be getting the right one.
The conductor was a middle aged man with large ears and a Bolton accent, wearing a uniform that was a tad too tight and a ticket dispenser on a strap around his neck. He didn’t talk much, just directed Ianto onto the train when it arrived and punched his ticket, wandering off to do the same for everyone else who was boarding.
Ianto leaned back in his seat, having managed to snag an end one with plenty of leg room, and stretched out. He was in a for a long journey, and he only hoped he’d got his measurements of the sedatives right to keep Jack under long enough for him to get there and back without waking and becoming hysterical. Raising his head, he looked out of the window of the train and spotted the clock. Nine in the morning. Hopefully he had time.
~*~*~*~
Ianto discovered he wasn’t too keen on riding backwards. It didn’t make him feel sick, it just made him worry about what he was leaving behind, as he could still see it out of the window for too long afterwards. The air conditioning made him too hot, and he had to take his furry hat off and unbutton his coat. Slowly, the train was making its way north, and filling up as it went. Eventually, it was so full people were standing, and Ianto wondered just how many people were allowed to get on a train before it could refuse to take more.
His wonderings were put to an end by a loud middle-aged man stood by the luggae rack.
“You know - there’s no limit to how many humans you can pack on a train? We could be stuffed in here until we were bursting out the windows and it would still be legal. Cows have more rights than us on trains - there’s a certain amount of cattle per carriage. But humans? Nahhh just stick ‘em all in, regardless of the fact they’ve all paid the same fare. Run a bigger train? Why? It’s not like we haven’t got overstock yards full of empty, brand new and unused carriages. Ohh no wait ... yes. Yes they have.” he grumbled.
A discussion sparked around him as the rights of cattle and other livestock compared to humans on trains, and Ianto phased out, lost in nervous thoughts of what he was going to do when he saw Lisa again. The rhythmic beat of the train’s wheels on the tracks below him and hum of the engines and spit of the pistons was making him tired and sleepy, and twice his head bounced off the window as consciousness tried to evade him. He made a mental note to buy a word search book for the way back so that he wouldn’t fall asleep.
Three stops from his destination, a heavily pregnant woman carrying bags struggled onto the train, and realised that none of the teenagers lolling about on the seats nearer to her were going to give up their spots [no pun intended]. With a sigh Ianto called out to her, and she gratefully took the seat he offered, grimacing as her back twinged. He gave her a reassuring smile.
“I’ve got some aspirin if you want some?”
“Pregnant and asthmatic.” she smiled regretfully.
“Paracetamol? Ibuprofen?”
She blinked. “Are you a walking pharmacy?” she laughed.
He blushed a little. “Always prepared, is all.”
“I’d kill for some paracetamol.” she admitted, and he offered her his water while pulling his little bag of tablets out of his pocket. He gave her the paracetamol blister pack, and she drank two down gratefully.
“Parent?” she asked, handing him the water back.
He shook his head. “Butler.”
Her eyes narrowed at him slightly, then widened in recognition. “Hey! Aren’t you Ian-”
“Shhhh!” he hushed her, though a couple of people looked around. “Er ... don’t ... please.” he practically begged.
She nodded and held her tongue. “Are you ... alright?” she asked carefully.
“Fine. I’m on my way up north to visit some friends.” he explained, though he was now aware of whispers around him on the train. The young woman had placed his face, and others were seemingly recognising him from the news reports, too. He fidgeted where he stood, clinging to a pole connected to the rail as the train swung around a corner.
“You are ... you’re okay, though?”
“I’m fine. More than fine.” he assured her.
She nodded and fell silent, turning to look out of the window awkwardly.
~*~*~*~
At the next stop, most of the train disembarked, and Ianto sat down beside the pregnant woman and stretched his legs out again. There were only about fifteen people left in the carriage, and he felt uncomfortably aware of some of them craning to look at him.
He hadn’t considered he might be recognised. It was the strangest thing - a total stranger asking him how he was, curious looks from random passengers, pitying glances from commuters. He heard one man talking on his phone in Welsh, for some reason thinking that in North Wales he would be the only Welsh speaker on board the train. Ianto flinched as he was referred to as ‘that prostitute’, and glared at the man as best he could.
“What’s he saying?” asked the pregnant woman, noticing the daggers Ianto was throwing in the phone caller’s direction.
“Just ... he’s talking about me. Saying I deserved to be ...” He glanced at her uncomfortably. “... doesn’t matter.”
“Aren’t you going to confront him?”
“No. I have better things to do.”
She smiled. “Well, when you put it that way ...” she shrugged. “Ow!” she groaned, her hand flying to her large belly.
“Are you alright?”
“Just a twinge.”
“You’re not ... y’know ...”
“Oh God, no! If I was going into labour, believe you me, I’d have probably crushed your fingers and several masculine parts of your anatomy in agony.” she smiled.
Ianto gulped.
“My second.” she explained. “Don’t worry - he’s not due for a week or so yet.”
“You got a name for him?”
“I was thinking ... maybe Jack.”
“Oh no! Don’t call him Jack! All boys called Jack turn into little shits. The names ‘Owen’, ‘Connor’, ‘Corey’ and anything you might find on a council estate have the same effect.”
“Jack is the most popular name for boys in the UK.”
“That’s why everything’s going down the pan.” smirked Ianto.
She massaged her belly. “I was also thinking Peter. Or Harry. William ...”
“Nice, sensible names.” nodded Ianto.
“I’m just worried that if I call him William, people might refer to him as ‘Bill’.”
“Just call him ‘Will’ and then no-one will feel inclined to.” shrugged Ianto.
“I suppose.” she nodded. She suddenly laughed at the absurdity of the conversation. “Discussing baby names with a stranger!” she exclaimed. “Not something I planned to do today.”
“Sorry.” Ianto bit his tongue.
“Don’t be, don’t be.” she sighed.
The train began to slow as it pulled into the final station, and Ianto's heart leapt when he saw Lisa waiting for him on the other side of the barrier. He said goodbye to the pregnant woman, whose name he forgot to ask in the end, and hopped off the train. Lisa spotted him and waved, and he practically ran towards her, fumbling for his ticket to get through the barrier as quickly as possible. He pretty much burst through, scooping her up in his arms and holding her tight, burying his face in her shoulder.
Finally he set her down, and she held him close.
“I’m so sorry.” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. Please come home ... please ....”
Ianto stepped back from her, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “I want to, but there’s something you need to understand first. Shall we find somewhere to eat?” he asked.
She gave him a guarded look, bit her lip, then nodded. Clasping his hand, she dragged him out of the station and towards Frankie and Benny’s. They ordered drinks and food, saying very little until the waiter fetched their drinks and set them down. Carefully, Ianto pulled Jack’s note out of his pocket, and pushed it towards Lisa.
Frowning at him, she took it, and her mouth moved ever so slightly as she skimmed over it, her eyes widening.
“Saxon?” she breathed. “He ... drugged ... he did this?”
Ianto nodded slowly, and Lisa buried her face in her hands trying to compose herself. “Should’ve known ... should’ve known ....” she muttered. “... should’ve known ....”
“We couldn’t have.” Ianto assured her.
“Where is he?” she asked.
“I ... sedated him ....” Ianto looked away guiltily. “I wouldn’t have been able to come otherwise! You saw how he was last time he got ... hysterical.”
Lisa frowned a little, but accepted it anyway. “Where did you get the drugs from?” she asked.
“Doesn't matter ..." he mumbled. "Um ... how ... how is Owen?"
"Still unconscious." she sighed heavily. "He's improved, but ... his body underwent a lot of trauma."
Ianto bit his lip.
Lisa took a deep breath, as if readying herself. “Listen ... Ianto ... I ... I love you.”
Ianto clasped her hand on the table. “I love you more.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, searching his face, looking a little frightened.
“What’s wrong? Of course I love you! More than anything ... I ... I want to come home. But ... I have my duty ...”
“I understand .... for now .... now that ... Saxon is a wanker, isn’t he?” she fumed. “You leave this with me - I can get him sorted. I’ll ... I’ll ...”
“Set your mam on him?” Ianto asked, a smile quirking his lips a little.
“That was my plan.” sniffed Lisa, then tried to smile also. Ianto squeezed her hand again, trying to reassure her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“It’s ... promise you ... swear you won’t leave me ....”
“I should be begging you not to do that.” Ianto admitted. “I ... I don’t deserve ...”
“Shut up. I’m talking.” Lisa pouted. “Ianto ... I ... y’know how you were always checking to ... y’know ... remind me to take my pill?”
Ianto blinked.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shit.
“Yeah?” he asked, his voice about three octaves higher than usual.
“Erm ... well, I asked you to stop asking, remember?”
“Mmhmmm.”
Nope. Still too high.
“I think it might have been ... you should have kept asking ...”
He stared at her. “You ... you’re not?”
She nodded, biting her lip.
He felt his mouth drop open slightly. He blinked. He blinked again.
“Well?” pressed Lisa, though she looked more confident than she sounded.
“Well ... I ... that’s ...” Shit! What do I say? For fuck’s sake, Ianto! ... just - whatever you do - do not ask if it’s yours .... “That’s ... erm ... I ... I don’t know how to communicate what I’m feeling into words.” Though ‘blind panic’, ‘pure fear’ and ‘rather nauseated’ did instantly spring to mind ....
“It’s ... it’s good, then?” asked Lisa, hopeful.
“It’s ... unexpected.”
Her face fell. “You ... you don’t want it?”
“I never said that! I ... I just wasn’t ... it’s a shock ...”
She raised an eyebrow.
“A good shock!” he insisted, and ran his hands through his hair.
“You don’t look like you’ve had a good shock.” she replied, narrowing her eyes.
“Bloody hell, Lisa! Give me a chance to process ... I’m gonna be a dad?”
She nodded.
“You’re gonna be a mammy?”
She nodded, smiling.
“We’re gonna have a little person?”
“Yes!” she grinned.
“Right.” Ianto gulped. “Just ... one sec ... I need to go outside and run with traffic, and shout about stuff and ... and ....and hug strangers ...”
She laughed and pulled him back down into his seat. He found himself beaming at her, then his eyes slid to the large glass of white wine stood near where her hand rested on the table. Lisa followed his gaze, then almost glared at him.
“One word, Ianto Jones!” she warned. “This is my last glass of wine for nine months, and I’m going to bloody well savour it! And don’t even start telling me I shouldn’t be eating eggs ....”
“Why shouldn’t you be eating eggs?” frowned Ianto.
“Apparently eggs aren’t ‘recommended for my condition’.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s what everyone keeps saying.” she grumbled.
“Erm ... how many people did you tell before me?”
“Toshiko, Gwen, Rhys, Martha, the girls at work, Barbara, Lois ...”
“So ... everyone knew except me?” he realised, a little hurt.
“I wanted to tell you face to face.” she explained.
Ianto nodded. “Okay, I understand.”
The waiter deposited their food on the table, and Ianto eyed Lisa’s double-egg-topped gammon with a raised eyebrow. “Why couldn’t you eat eggs, again?” he asked, giving the fried eggs a pointed look.
She glowered at him, raising her fork threateningly.
He got the message, remembering the woman on the train’s joke about possibly crushing male genitalia, and left Lisa to her eggs.
~*~*~*~
Ianto sprawled over the couch in the little hotel, his head on Lisa’s lap and his face towards her stomach. He lifted her top a little and kissed the soft skin there before grinning up at her.
“When do you have to be back?” she asked.
“My train leaves in an hour.”
“So little time ....” she sighed.
“It’s a stupid train. It goes all around everywhere and takes hours.”
“Mmm.” she smiled, stroking his hair as he nuzzled her belly again, pressing his lips to her skin. “You do know my womb is lower than that, don’t you?” she mused.
“Yeah ... but I’d do my neck in going lower.” he pointed out.
She gave a small laugh. “How about ... maybe going even lower than that ....” she suggested, giving him a sly smile.
He blinked. “Are you sure?”
“For fuck’s sake, Ianto! I’m pregnant, not porcelain! I need to get laid!”
“Sorry but ... I mean ... I don’t want to go ... y’know ... poking around where I’m not wanted ...”
She sniggered at his phrasing. “Ahhhh Ianto. We can have sex right up until the third trimester.”
“The third what?”
“Trimes - Wikipedia, love.” she sighed, patting his hair. "When ... when will you come and visit again?"
"I don't know, Lisa." he sighed, sitting up so that he could face her. "It's risky as it is. And I got recognised on the train."
"Mmmm." she conceded. "I'm missing you. It's been a month, and I miss you so much ...."
"I ... I have to help him." murmured Ianto. "I have to ... I'll see if I can persuade him to move up to the Big House. That way, I'll be close enough if you need me."
"He hates that house." she told him, a dark look passing over her features. "He won't live there again."
"Why?"
"Ghosts." she said simply, and leaned in to kiss him rather spontaneously. She deepened it, snaking her arms around him, pulling him closer.
~*~*~*~
The meeting had been painfully brief, but there was only so much sedative Ianto could have given Jack without killing him and so much time allotted for travel. Sat on the train, he began the word search activity book he'd bought from the station on his way back, managing to snag a table before the carriage filled.
The train set off, once again filling slowly, and Ianto pretty much ignored everyone around him as he searched out the words in the grids before him. Lisa had told him, what felt like a lifetime ago, that doing these little games would help with his vocabulary, spelling and 'sharpen his wits'. He found he quite enjoyed them, but hadn't done any since his birthday.
Slowly, he became aware of eyes boring into the top of his head, and he raised his eyes to the young man sat opposite him. He quirked an eyebrow, and the man flicked his dark curls out of his eyes.
"Can I help you?" Ianto asked, disequilibreated.
"I should ask you the same thing." the man softly replied, and Ianto searched his face, sure he'd seen him before. He ran his eyes over the casual clothes he wore, his scruffy hair and clean-shaven face.
"Button?" he frowned.
Harold Saxon's service butler. He nodded once to his pet name, and slid a card across the table towards Ianto.
"I don't work for him anymore." Button told him. "But that doesn't mean I'm safe. I'm protected by Faith."
Ianto glanced down at the card. There was an address on it, with a post code for an area he recognised as being in North East Wales..
"But ... Jack said ... he said that ..."
"Things have changed. Time isn't playing out as it should - Saxon interfered when he drugged your Earl. You were supposed to be with Lisa."
Ianto stared at him. "How do you ... wha ... there's ... you ..." he sputtered.
"She will help you. Go to that address."
"Who will help me?"
"Faith."
Ianto blinked, and looked down at the card again, taking Jack's note from his pocket. 'Find Faith' it begged. He looked back up, and jumped.
Button had gone.
None of the other passengers in the carriage seemed to have noticed anything, carrying on with whatever they were doing, and Ianto turned back, blinking hard, wondering if he'd fallen asleep. But no - the card was still on the table. He picked it up carefully and read the address before pocketing it.
~*~*~*~
Ianto felt nervous as he stood in the lift, waiting to be taken to the top floor. He could hardly wait for the lift doors to ping open, and he slipped out of them before they had even properly drawn back. He hurriedly slid his keycard into the lock and pushed open the door, sighing with relief when he saw Jack was still in bed, a pillow cuddled to his chest. He snuffled in his sleep, the sedatives probably wearing off, and leaned into Ianto's touch when he reached out to stroke his hair.
Taking off his coat and jacket, loosening his tie and toeing off his shoes, Ianto climbed onto the bed beside him. He pretty soon found himself enveloped in the Captain's arms, and snuggled a little, feeling safe knowing that when Jack's body was unconscious, the real Jack was more alert. He wanted this to be his Jack that was holding him, and clung to the idea no matter what.
Closing his eyes, he smiled to himself as he thought of Lisa and the baby growing inside her. If he was honest with himself, he never really expected to be a father - nor realised that he wanted to be. He was frightened, but he had time to get over that. He could read books and learn what he could from them, and he could think himself through the situation.
But first, he needed to sort Jack out.
Rolling over, he jumped when two blue eyes met his, bleary but alert.
"You've slept all day." smiled Ianto.
"Where did you go?" he asked.
"No where. I'm right here."
"I can smell someone on you."
Ianto blinked, then remembered his original plan to take a shower and change before Jack woke up. After the meeting with Button on the train ... dammit, he'd forgotten ...
"I hugged Donna before. She came to see how I was." Ianto lied.
"You don't smell like Donna."
Ianto shrugged. "Maybe she changed her perfume?"
Jack's eyes narrowed, and he pulled Ianto closer, resting his cheek on his shoulder. "Tell her it smells nice."
Ianto tried not to let out the breath he'd been holding too loudly. "I will." he promised. "Listen ... Jack ... I've been thinking. Let's go traveling together, yeah? Donna suggested this place ..."
Ianto showed him the card.
"Where is it?"
"I think it's in North Wales."
"Sure. Okay. What is there to do there?"
"I have a friend who'll ... she'll help us to ... she knows the place. She'll be our tour guide, of sorts."
"Alright then." yawned Jack. "Mmmm I'm hungry. Shall we order a pizza?"
"Yeah ... okay. What do you want?"
"Meateor."
"Are you sure? You're not eating enough vegetables ..."
"I'll get chips with it." insisted Jack.
"Chips don't count as vegetables, Jack."
"They do." he scowled.
"They don't."
"In my house they do."
"They really don't." sighed Ianto.
"I'm paying for this room, I'm paying for this meal, and if I say chips are vegetables ...."
He trailed off, meeting Ianto's stony gaze.
"... a salad from room service, then?"
Ianto smiled. "Much better."
"Ianto?"
"Mm?"
"Can I get chocolate milk?"
Ianto groaned. "You're such a child! No, you can't have chocolate milk."
"Why?"
"Because after you have pizza, you'll be having sweets and chocolate. Chocolate milk will just be too much sugar, and there's no way I'm being held responsible for whatever you decide to run downstairs and destroy."
"Fine." Jack scowled.
He lay quietly for a while as Ianto phoned in the order, and when the line was cut he almost bodily lifted Ianto to be closer to him.
"Ianto?"
"No."
Jack bit his lip. "... Ianto?" he tried again.
"No."
"Ianto?"
"NO."
Jack chewed the lip, then took another breath. "Ianto?"
"What?" asked Ianto sharply.
"Can we have sex now?"
Ianto rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, fine ..." he grumbled.
He turned until he was lying on his stomach, pillow under his hips. "Get it over and done with, then." he sighed.
Jack didn't question him twice, and started pulling his and Ianto's clothes down and apart until just the bare essentials were exposed. Foreplay was pretty much dead in their relationship now, and Ianto waited patiently while he was prepared and entered without preamble. Jack grunted and panted above him, and he buried his head into the pillow as he moaned, the Captain's hard thrusts creating enough friction for pleasure as well as angling his penetration just right.
He gasped as he came, and waited for Jack to finish before reaching for the tissues. He tossed the now damp pillow onto the floor, and allowed Jack to scoop him up and cuddle him, burying his head in his neck. He tilted his own head back to give the Captain better access.
"Jack ..." he sighed, wishing he could have his real Jack back. "... Jack ... I've got something I need to tell you ...."
"What is it?" asked Jack nonplussed, kissing his neck in his afterglow. Ianto struggled for what to say, wondering how best to phrase it. In the end, he settled for blunt honestly:
"Lisa's pregnant."
Jack froze.
FIN
Comment if you liked, or if you didn't, or if you're simply feeling type-ish.
In other news, I watched Shark Attack 3 with my sister today. She thought it was made in the seventies it was that bad.
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