Title: Blue Moon’s Child 2/4
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Jack/OMC (past)
Rating: Teen- dark themes, sexual mentions.
Spoilers: Mild for COE
Summary: Cardiff 1993 and Jack Harkness is investigating some odd readings.
Disclaimers: I own nothing.
Notes: COE doesn’t exist here but again, I’m using details from it to create a story. Plot!fic here! Comments please! Part One
Here I'm having to post this in 4 parts now - still one a day.
Jack had found the boy’s neighbourhood, found the boy’s house and the scanner informed them he wasn’t home. They’d followed the signal all the way to a local park and now Jack could see Ianto Jones, sitting on a swing all alone in the park, praying.
Elaeth held the scanner and chewed his lip. “What are we going to do?”
Jack glanced down at the scanner. “What’s it saying now?”
“It’s going mad. The signal’s definitely coming from him. Er, I think. I could be wrong. I’m not an expert.”
Jack patted him on the back. “No, you’re right. Come on, follow my lead.”
Jack strolled out onto the playground and approached the swing. Immediately, Ianto froze, standing whilst keeping a hold on the swing. He didn’t say anything, just kept his eyes on Jack.
Jack smiled. “Hey there, solider. How are you?”
Ianto watched him warily, his eyes flicking to Elaeth briefly. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”
Jack held out his hand for Ianto to shake. “I’m Jack. How do you do?”
Ianto kept his right hand close to his chest and Jack could see he was gripping something in it. Instead he held out his left hand backwards to shake Jack’s hand.
“What’s that you’ve got there?” Jack asked, gesturing towards the blue thing in Ianto’s hand.
Ianto held it tighter. “It’s my orb,” he said. “You can’t have it.”
“I’m not going to take it from you. What is it? Where did you get it?”
“Dunno. It’s glass, I think. I don’t remember where I got it.”
Jack peered at it, wishing he could get a closer look. He was getting an odd feeling about it. Elaeth tugged at his arm.
“Jack,” he hissed.
Jack patted his hand. “Later.” He smiled at Ianto. “Ianto, has anything odd happened to you lately? Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?”
Ianto tensed, glaring at Jack. “How do you know my name?” he growled.
Jack flinched as he realised his mistake. “I know your dad,” he lied. “Has anything happened to you?”
Ianto continued to glare at him but Jack could see his tension dissolving a little. Ianto put his head on one side, appearing to consider the question.
He opened his mouth to reply but another voice interrupted.
“Ianto!” A girl came running up and Jack realised it was the same girl he’d seen with Ianto in town. Most likely, she was the sister. There was certainly a family resemblance.
She ran up to them and put her arm around Ianto’s shoulders, encouraging him off the swing.
“Come home now,” she said, shooting a suspicious look at Jack and Elaeth. “It’s time for tea.”
Ianto shook his head. “I’m not eating tea tonight.”
The girl gave him a small shake. “Yes, you bloody are. You upset Da when you don’t eat, now come on!”
Ianto scowled but didn’t pull his arm away. The girl tugged him off and Jack was left with no answers whatsoever.
* * *
“What the hell are we gonna do now?” asked Jack, storming along the street. Elaeth was almost running to keep up with him.
“Least we know it’s the boy,” he said.
“I want to know what that damn orb is. I’m sure it’s got something to do with it.”
“It just looks like a kid’s toy.”
“No, something bothers me about it. It doesn’t feel…earthly.”
“Well, what do we do? Take more scans?”
“I think…he looked like he was almost ready to trust me, didn’t he? Like he was about to answer our questions, until his sister came to get him.” Jack grinned. “Right, we keep an eye on him, keep taking scans and try and get him talking.” He put his arm around Elaeth’s shoulders and tugged him close. “Come on. My place. We’ll sort this out tomorrow.”
Elaeth let himself be led along. “I like your place, Jack.”
Jack smiled. “Well, I like you coming to my place.”
Elaeth let his head rest on Jack’s shoulder. “Do you think the others notice I’m always at yours?”
Jack stopped and gave Elaeth a stern look. “Will you stop worrying about that? Nobody cares, okay?”
Elaeth flushed. “Okay. I’ll try. Sorry.”
Jack smiled, kissed Elaeth on the top of his head and carried on walking. “It’s all right. I know it’s difficult for you.”
“Yeah. I just…don’t want to get teased. I know you don’t care who knows about your sex life but I just think…it should be a bit…private. You know, just about us?”
Jack stroked his hair. “I know. You’re private and I’m a bit of a show off. It’s fine.”
Elaeth smiled. “Thanks.”
They walked along in silence for a while.
“Jack?” Elaeth said eventually.
“Yeah?”
“Erm, thanks for picking me.”
“Picking you?”
“To help with this. I know I’m not the best.”
Jack frowned thoughtfully. “You’re not a techie like Scott, or a doctor like Maggie. But you’re loyal. You’ll stand by me in what has to be done. And…”
“And what?”
“And you’ve got imagination. You look in wide eyed wonder at the world around you, at all those possibilities. We need more of that. I need more of that.” He smiled affectionately at Elaeth. “That’s why I always pick you.”
* * *
Ianto swung his feet into his chair legs, scuffing the paint and making the old wooden chair squeak with distress. He glared at his plate of sausage and mash.
His Da’s place was empty and Rhiannon’s was nearly empty. But Ianto’s hadn’t been touched. They hadn’t said anything about Ianto’s full plate yet. They were waiting for him to eat it by himself. But he wasn’t going to.
Ianto thought about his mam sitting in the other room. She’d been fed her tea already. Da had cut it up small for her and fed it to her, talking softly to her. It was the warm, loving voice he used only with Mam and sometimes with Rhiannon. He never used it with Ianto.
“Eat up, Ianto,” Iestyn said, attempting to jolly Ianto along.
Ianto shook his head. “I told you I’m not eating it.”
“Ianto,” hissed Rhiannon warningly.
“Leave him, Rhiannon. If he’s not going to eat it when it’s nice and hot, he can sit there until he is ready to eat it. We’ll have no wasted food in this house.”
Ianto scowled. He didn’t want to eat. He stared at the crusting mash and the fatty sausages, covered in slimy congealed grease. He wasn’t going to eat it. They couldn’t make him.
Iestyn and Rhiannon finished their tea and did the washing up together, laughing and chucking suds at one another. Ianto sat at the table, still kicking the chair leg. He hadn’t touched his meal, not one little bit.
“Right,” said Iestyn, coming over to Ianto and putting his hand on his shoulder. “Now, you’re going to sit here until you eat this. If you haven’t eaten it by bedtime, you’ll have to have it for lunch tomorrow. And you’ll be talking to the priest in the morning. It’s a sin to waste food, Ianto.”
Ianto scowled at his plate.
Iestyn patted his shoulder. “Just have some, Ianto. At least try, hmm?”
“I want to go and sit with mam.”
“You need to stay here and eat your tea. When you’ve eaten, you can go and play or sit with your mam.” He checked his watch. “You’ve got two hours.”
Ianto watched him go. Rhiannon came over to Ianto and stroked his hair. “Do you want me to stay with you?”
Ianto shook his head.
“I will if you want me to. I don’t mind.”
“No! Go away.”
Rhiannon tutted. “All right, all right. Da’s right, you know. You’ve been a real brat lately. It’s not fair. He’s trying his best and you’re just making life difficult.”
“You don’t understand. Nobody understands.”
“Oh, I understand. Mam spoiled you and now you’re being a brat cause Da’s not doting on you like she did. Just because he gives me a bit of attention.”
Ianto put his head down on his arms and kicked the table leg. “Go away!” he yelled.
Rhiannon tutted again and left, slamming the door behind her. Ianto waited, slamming the tips of his sneakers into the table leg over and over. He heard her storm up the stairs and slam her bedroom door. He heard his Da in the front room with his mam. All was quiet. He looked towards the back door. He could reach the bolt if he climbed on the counter.
He picked up his plate and carried it carefully over to the bin. He scraped all the food in then pushed a wad of paper towels over the top of it. He tipped his plate into the sink, checked his blue orb was still in his pocket, then climbed up onto the counter, undid the bolt and slid out of the back door.
They had a little garden, only a square of lawn and a small yard. The day’s washing was still hanging blowing on the line where Rhiannon had hung it after lunch. Ianto’s bike was leaning against the back fence. Ianto took it, kicked open the back gate and stole out of the garden.
* * *
Jack lay back in his double bed and tugged Elaeth close. “Perfect,” he murmured, kissing Elaeth’s forehead.
Elaeth grinned, snuggling close to Jack. “See, that’s why I don’t want the others to know.”
Jack turned to him, a quizzical frown on his face. “Why?”
“Because if they knew about this…” He smiled. “If they could see the expression on your face when I use my mouth on you or my hands, or…we make love, then they’d think this is why you always pick me.”
Jack put his head on one side and considered Elaeth. “You don’t think that, do you?”
Elaeth smiled and shook his head. “No. You…you don’t tell me things. You keep a lot to yourself but…you never lie. You told me why you always pick me and I believe you.”
Jack kissed him full on the mouth. “Good. ‘Cause it’s true.”
Elaeth laughed as Jack rolled them over so he was on top. Jack grinned cheekily and began to kiss Elaeth deeply, pressing their naked bodies together.
They were just starting to get into it when the room was filled with a high pitched scream. Jack pulled back.
“What the hell?”
Elaeth held his hands over his ears and sat up as Jack scrambled around in his pile of tech on the bedside table.
“What is that?” Elaeth asked.
“The scanner. Woah, it’s going mad.” He scrambled out of bed and fumbled for their clothes. He chucked Elaeth’s pile of clothes at him.
“Get dressed. Quick. We need to get out there.”
Elaeth began to get dressed. Jack was throwing on his clothes at lightening speed. Elaeth fumbled with his own clothes and when Jack dragged him out of the house, his trainers were still unlaced and his hoodie was unzipped.
Jack strode down the street away from his house, clutching the scanner, which was still screeching and vibrating.
“These readings are going mad. The source, whatever it actually is, is getting stronger. And…more erratic too.”
“But…where…is it?” Elaeth panted, nearly tripping up over his laces as he hurried after Jack.
“I dunno. But…damn we’ve got to find this. It’s…it’s like it’s agitated.”
He stopped. “It’s too far. We need the car.” He turned back and hurried back the way they’d come.
Within five minutes, they’d retrieved the car and were speeding down the dark streets following the signal. Elaeth clutched the scanner as he tucked his laces into his trainers with his free hand.
“It’s getting closer. Or…we’re getting closer to it anyway.”
“Direction?” barked Jack.
“Erm, right. I think.”
Jack turned swiftly down the next right turn. Suddenly, the scanner began to throb instead, a deep drumming hum. Jack slammed on the breaks and looked around.
That’s when he saw it. Big blue eyes shining in the headlights of Jack’s car. Jack got out. He’d realised already that the blue eyes belonged to a child and he was pretty sure he knew exactly who the boy was.
“Hello,” he said.
There was movement. The boy jerked back and to his feet. “What do you want? Leave me alone.”
“Shouldn’t you be at home in bed?” Jack asked gently. “It’s late.”
“I’m not going home, not ever.”
“It’s Ianto, isn’t it? Do you remember me from this morning, Ianto?”
Ianto shuffled, peering at Jack. “You were asking me questions in the park. What do you want?”
“I want to know if anything odd has happened to you recently?”
“Like what?”
“Anything, Ianto. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s small. Has anything happened to you at all?”
“No. Not really. I dunno.” He was clutching the blue orb still, in his right hand.
“Can I…see that orb, Ianto?”
“No. It’s mine.”
“Just let me hold it for a minute.”
Ianto shook his head and held it close to his chest.
“Okay, you hold it up for me, all right? Just let me look at it.”
Ianto’s big blue eyes were still suspicious but he uncurled his fingers a little and let Jack look over the orb. Jack peered carefully at it, then took the scanner and ran it over it.
Ianto was watching Jack carefully. Jack gave him an encouraging smile. “This orb is very special, Ianto.”
“I know.”
“Can you look after it for me, Ianto? Don’t let anybody else touch it, okay?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s important.” He looked into Ianto’s eyes. “Trust me.”
Slowly, Ianto nodded. “Okay.”
“Where do you go to school, Ianto?”
“Cardiff.”
“Okay, brilliant. Do you know where the bay is?”
“Yeah. We go there to look at boats.”
“Okay. Do you think you can try to come to the bay on Monday after school?”
“I shouldn’t. You’re a stranger.”
“I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to learn about your orb. Just be in the bay on Monday, all right?”
“I’ll try.”
“Thanks. Now, kiddo, you should be getting home, hmm?”
“I’m ten and a half you know.”
“Yeah, but it’s still late, even for a nearly eleven year old. So, time to go home.”
“Yeah.” Ianto turned, grabbed his bike and mounted it. “See ya.”
“Hey, wait!” Jack called after him. But it was too late. Ianto had disappeared into the darkness.
Jack glanced at Elaeth worriedly. “Do you think he’ll be all right going home alone this time of night?”
Elaeth nodded. “He’ll be all right. He doesn’t live that far.” He reached out and took Jack’s hand. “Let’s go home.”
Jack let Elaeth lead him back to the car. He was distracted, wondering about the orb and trying to work it out. It was like it was reacting to the boy. The readings had spiked when Ianto had been distressed and nervous, but had calmed when Ianto had. Jack hadn’t come across anything like the orb in all his years but he was certain it wasn’t from 20th century Earth. There was no way.
* * *
It was pitch black in the garden when Ianto sneaked back in. He could see no lights on in the house. Maybe they hadn’t noticed and they’d all gone to bed.
He propped his bike back up against the fence and tiptoed back in through the back door.
He stopped dead. His Da was sitting at the kitchen table with only the small table lamp on. His hands were clenched on the tabletop and his jaw was tense.
He didn’t look round at Ianto. Ianto hadn’t made a sound. Maybe Da hadn’t noticed him. Slowly, Ianto edged towards the kitchen door, ready to dart up to his bedroom. But just as Ianto passed him, Da’s hand jerked out and grabbed Ianto’s upper arm.
“Where on Earth have you been?”
Ianto wriggled. “Let me go!”
“I’ve been worried out of my mind. You’ve been gone for hours. It’s nearly midnight. How dare you!”
“Get off! I hate you, I hate you!”
Iestyn gave Ianto a sharp shake. “Don’t you dare ever do anything like that again!” he barked, holding Ianto so tight he couldn’t wriggle away. “You go right upstairs now and you pray to God to help you be a good boy.”
“No! I won’t! I hate you and I hate God!”
Iestyn jerked Ianto around and gave him a hard smack on the bottom. “I should take my damn belt to you, that’s what my Da would’ve done.”
Ianto could feel the burn of his backside under his jeans. It hurt but it wasn’t making him cry. It was making him angry.
He wriggled as hard as he could and broke free of his da’s grip. “You’d never do that to Rhiannon! You just hate me! You think it’s my fault, just ‘cause I was with mam that day.”
Iestyn was trembling with anger. “Well, if you’d bloody well come home when you were told that day, it never would’ve happened! If you weren’t such a brat…”
There was silence. Ianto glared with all his might at his Da. Iestyn suddenly realised what he’d said and his anger disappeared. He held out his arms to Ianto.
“Ianto, bachgen, I didn’t mean to say that. You just had me so worried disappearing like that. Come here, eh?” He tried to give him a hug but Ianto wriggled away and ran up to his bedroom, slamming his door and pushing his chair in front of it to keep his da out.
Iestyn followed him. “Ianto,” he called through the door. “Ianto, listen to me. Let’s make it up, okay? Mam always said, didn’t she, not to let the sun go down on our anger.”
“It already has gone down!” Ianto shouted.
Iestyn sighed. “You know what it means. Come on. Let’s make up before you go to sleep. Then I can tuck you in, kiss you goodnight and in the morning, we’ll both go to confession, okay?”
There was silence. Iestyn waited for several long minutes but Ianto didn’t respond. Iestyn sighed.
“Nos da, bachgen-Ianto,” he murmured, then turned and walked away.
In his room, Ianto rubbed his cheek with his orb and cried into his pillow.