Fic: Better Late Than Never
Title: Better Late Than Never
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Nosy, OCs.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Getting home can sometimes be more difficult than anticipated.
Word Count: 1232
Written For: Prompt 161 - Homecoming at fandomweekly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
“Stupid technology!” Ianto grumbled. “We wouldn’t even be in this situation if the Doctor hadn’t swanned off and left his phone behind. Now, just when we could use a time machine, there’s no way for us to get in touch with him!”
“It’ll be fine, Ianto,” Jack soothed, doing his best to calm his husband.
“How? We wanted to surprise everyone by being home for Christmas, and now thanks to a technological glitch, we’re going to be late!”
“Only by a few days.”
“Only? Those few days make all the difference! Christmas will be over by the time we get there!” Ianto glanced at the chronometer that kept perfect earth time no matter where in the universe they happened to be. “Christmas Day is already over. So is Boxing Day for that matter, and the day after…” He hated sounding so petulant, but he’d really been looking forward to sitting down for Christmas dinner with his extended family: all the kids, their spouses and partners, the grandkids, the Fluffs, and a few assorted friends. It would have been so wonderful to see everyone together, but that ship had already sailed.
Caught up in extremely sensitive trade negotiations for several months, they hadn’t made it home since April, and even then, their newest granddaughter had already been almost a month old. They’d both wanted to at least be there for little Emily’s first Christmas, had planned everything in advance to make certain they would be, but they hadn’t allowed for problems with the vortex drive on their ship, which had malfunctioned less than hallway to earth, leaving them stranded, adrift in space.
Thankfully, their distress signal was intercepted within four Galactic hours by Interstellar Rescue Services, the space equivalent of the AA, and they’d been towed to Ghisenack Space Station, where they’d stayed for three days while the intricate drive mechanism was removed from their ship and replaced with an improved model.
Between repairs and the towing and docking fees it had cost them more than they would have liked, although less than it might have. For the duration of their stay, Oostravey, the station’s commander, had set them up in a palatial suite for free, saying she was most honoured to have earth’s ambassadors aboard her humble station. She’d been quite charming company, showing them around, wining and dining them every night. It would have been a very pleasant interlude, if not for the fact that all they’d wanted was to continue their interrupted journey.
At least they were on their way again now, several days behind schedule but less than a day’s travel from earth. The trouble with getting a new vortex drive fitted was that they couldn’t push it to the limit for the first ten-thousand light years, because that would void the warranty. As a result, they’d been forced to travel slower than they otherwise would have. Jack might have chanced it if he’d been alone, but he’d known his husband wouldn’t approve of such recklessness, and there was Nosy to think of too. If they overtaxed the drive before it was fully charged by vortex travel, they could wind up anywhere. Ships had been lost that way.
“Look on the bright side,” Jack said, doing his best to sound cheerful. “We’ll be home in time for New Year, and as we don’t have anything else scheduled, we can stay on earth for a few months, at least until after Emily’s first birthday.”
“We were going to do that anyway.” Ianto slumped further down in his seat.
“And we still can! We might be a little late getting home, but the rest of our plans haven’t changed.”
“But I was looking forward to enjoying roast turkey and all the trimmings,” Ianto huffed. “It’s not that I don’t enjoy alien food, but this is the second year in a row we’ve had to go without a proper Christmas dinner, and I miss it. Mince pies, Christmas pudding and brandy butter, cranberry sauce…” he trailed off, forcing himself not to pout.
“Hummmmm,” Nosy added mournfully.
“Yes, sprouts too,” Ianto agreed. They were among the Fluff’s favourite foods, and earth was the only planet that cultivated them.
“I’m sure there’ll still be sprouts available, and mince pies too,” Jack assured his husband and their friend. “And if the mince pies are all gone, I’ll just take over the kitchen and bake some more.”
“Won’t be the same though, will it?”
“Maybe not, but we’ll still get to see everyone, and isn’t that the most important part?”
“I suppose you’re right.” Ianto did his best to set aside his disappointment. “Family is more important than roast turkey and Christmas pud. There’ll be plenty of other Christmases, and it will be good to see everybody.”
“That’s the spirit!” Jack reached over to pat his husband’s knee.
A little over eight hours later, Jack piloted their ship to land at the Torchwood Spaceport, formerly known as Flat Holm Island, where they took a hovercraft back to shore, leaving it at the Torchwood dock, which had once been Roath Basin. By now, Torchwood owned most of the docklands area; they needed the space since Cardiff was one of earth’s main centres of trade with other planets.
Stopping off briefly at the flat where they’d raised their four children getting on for forty years earlier, they showered and changed, delighting in an actual hot water shower for the first time in months. Then the three of them loaded all their gifts for family and friends into their personal vehicle, and headed along the coast to Caldicot, where Meriel and her husband had settled in a rambling farmhouse on the edge of what even now was still a small and quite picturesque market town.
It was where the whole family tended to congregate for the festive season, travelling in from various parts of Wales. Aside from Jack and Ianto, the Harkness-Jones family had never quite managed to leave the country of their birth. Even those who’d left for university had always found their way back within a few years of graduating. They were proud of their Welsh heritage, and never really felt at home anywhere else.
Despite the chilly late December weather, by the time they pulled into the driveway the entire clan was already outside waiting for them, alerted by the family Fluffs, who’d been aware of their approach since the moment they’d landed at Flat Holm. Fluffs were capable of sensing other Fluffs over quite long distances through their empathic bonds.
“Dad! Tad!” Meriel shouted, hurrying towards them. “Welcome home!” But as always, it was Nosy she hugged first, crouching down to wrap her arms around the warm, green-furred body of her oldest friend. “Oh, we’ve missed you all so much!” Turning to her parents, she hugged them quickly before stepping aside to let everyone else have a turn while the Fluffs and Flufflets practically tied themselves in happy knots in the middle of the paved driveway.
“We tried to get home for Christmas, but we had some mechanical problems enroute,” Ianto explained, hugging his youngest daughter, Rhosyn, before hugging Rosie’s wife, Meg, who was holding baby Emily.
“You’re here now.” Gareth took Meg’s place, hugging his Tad. “That’s what matters. Better a bit late than not at all.”
Ianto smiled. “That’s what your dad kept telling me,” he admitted. “It’s good to finally be home.”
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Nosy, OCs.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Getting home can sometimes be more difficult than anticipated.
Word Count: 1232
Written For: Prompt 161 - Homecoming at fandomweekly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
“Stupid technology!” Ianto grumbled. “We wouldn’t even be in this situation if the Doctor hadn’t swanned off and left his phone behind. Now, just when we could use a time machine, there’s no way for us to get in touch with him!”
“It’ll be fine, Ianto,” Jack soothed, doing his best to calm his husband.
“How? We wanted to surprise everyone by being home for Christmas, and now thanks to a technological glitch, we’re going to be late!”
“Only by a few days.”
“Only? Those few days make all the difference! Christmas will be over by the time we get there!” Ianto glanced at the chronometer that kept perfect earth time no matter where in the universe they happened to be. “Christmas Day is already over. So is Boxing Day for that matter, and the day after…” He hated sounding so petulant, but he’d really been looking forward to sitting down for Christmas dinner with his extended family: all the kids, their spouses and partners, the grandkids, the Fluffs, and a few assorted friends. It would have been so wonderful to see everyone together, but that ship had already sailed.
Caught up in extremely sensitive trade negotiations for several months, they hadn’t made it home since April, and even then, their newest granddaughter had already been almost a month old. They’d both wanted to at least be there for little Emily’s first Christmas, had planned everything in advance to make certain they would be, but they hadn’t allowed for problems with the vortex drive on their ship, which had malfunctioned less than hallway to earth, leaving them stranded, adrift in space.
Thankfully, their distress signal was intercepted within four Galactic hours by Interstellar Rescue Services, the space equivalent of the AA, and they’d been towed to Ghisenack Space Station, where they’d stayed for three days while the intricate drive mechanism was removed from their ship and replaced with an improved model.
Between repairs and the towing and docking fees it had cost them more than they would have liked, although less than it might have. For the duration of their stay, Oostravey, the station’s commander, had set them up in a palatial suite for free, saying she was most honoured to have earth’s ambassadors aboard her humble station. She’d been quite charming company, showing them around, wining and dining them every night. It would have been a very pleasant interlude, if not for the fact that all they’d wanted was to continue their interrupted journey.
At least they were on their way again now, several days behind schedule but less than a day’s travel from earth. The trouble with getting a new vortex drive fitted was that they couldn’t push it to the limit for the first ten-thousand light years, because that would void the warranty. As a result, they’d been forced to travel slower than they otherwise would have. Jack might have chanced it if he’d been alone, but he’d known his husband wouldn’t approve of such recklessness, and there was Nosy to think of too. If they overtaxed the drive before it was fully charged by vortex travel, they could wind up anywhere. Ships had been lost that way.
“Look on the bright side,” Jack said, doing his best to sound cheerful. “We’ll be home in time for New Year, and as we don’t have anything else scheduled, we can stay on earth for a few months, at least until after Emily’s first birthday.”
“We were going to do that anyway.” Ianto slumped further down in his seat.
“And we still can! We might be a little late getting home, but the rest of our plans haven’t changed.”
“But I was looking forward to enjoying roast turkey and all the trimmings,” Ianto huffed. “It’s not that I don’t enjoy alien food, but this is the second year in a row we’ve had to go without a proper Christmas dinner, and I miss it. Mince pies, Christmas pudding and brandy butter, cranberry sauce…” he trailed off, forcing himself not to pout.
“Hummmmm,” Nosy added mournfully.
“Yes, sprouts too,” Ianto agreed. They were among the Fluff’s favourite foods, and earth was the only planet that cultivated them.
“I’m sure there’ll still be sprouts available, and mince pies too,” Jack assured his husband and their friend. “And if the mince pies are all gone, I’ll just take over the kitchen and bake some more.”
“Won’t be the same though, will it?”
“Maybe not, but we’ll still get to see everyone, and isn’t that the most important part?”
“I suppose you’re right.” Ianto did his best to set aside his disappointment. “Family is more important than roast turkey and Christmas pud. There’ll be plenty of other Christmases, and it will be good to see everybody.”
“That’s the spirit!” Jack reached over to pat his husband’s knee.
A little over eight hours later, Jack piloted their ship to land at the Torchwood Spaceport, formerly known as Flat Holm Island, where they took a hovercraft back to shore, leaving it at the Torchwood dock, which had once been Roath Basin. By now, Torchwood owned most of the docklands area; they needed the space since Cardiff was one of earth’s main centres of trade with other planets.
Stopping off briefly at the flat where they’d raised their four children getting on for forty years earlier, they showered and changed, delighting in an actual hot water shower for the first time in months. Then the three of them loaded all their gifts for family and friends into their personal vehicle, and headed along the coast to Caldicot, where Meriel and her husband had settled in a rambling farmhouse on the edge of what even now was still a small and quite picturesque market town.
It was where the whole family tended to congregate for the festive season, travelling in from various parts of Wales. Aside from Jack and Ianto, the Harkness-Jones family had never quite managed to leave the country of their birth. Even those who’d left for university had always found their way back within a few years of graduating. They were proud of their Welsh heritage, and never really felt at home anywhere else.
Despite the chilly late December weather, by the time they pulled into the driveway the entire clan was already outside waiting for them, alerted by the family Fluffs, who’d been aware of their approach since the moment they’d landed at Flat Holm. Fluffs were capable of sensing other Fluffs over quite long distances through their empathic bonds.
“Dad! Tad!” Meriel shouted, hurrying towards them. “Welcome home!” But as always, it was Nosy she hugged first, crouching down to wrap her arms around the warm, green-furred body of her oldest friend. “Oh, we’ve missed you all so much!” Turning to her parents, she hugged them quickly before stepping aside to let everyone else have a turn while the Fluffs and Flufflets practically tied themselves in happy knots in the middle of the paved driveway.
“We tried to get home for Christmas, but we had some mechanical problems enroute,” Ianto explained, hugging his youngest daughter, Rhosyn, before hugging Rosie’s wife, Meg, who was holding baby Emily.
“You’re here now.” Gareth took Meg’s place, hugging his Tad. “That’s what matters. Better a bit late than not at all.”
Ianto smiled. “That’s what your dad kept telling me,” he admitted. “It’s good to finally be home.”
The End