(no subject)
Series Title: CJ Harkness and his Imaginary TARDIS.
Chapter Title: 01: I Feel Fine, I Feel Good (The Beginning).
Rating(s): PG, this chapter. R, overall.
Pairing(s): Jack/Ianto/Gwen in later chapters, but lots of dad/son moments here.
Warning(s): Some violence, cursing, angst, but overall, nothing too bad.
Summary: This came from a PSL of Jack/Ianto/Gwen that I have with ~noneofyours. Yes, Gwen/Jack/Ianto are together in this, so if you're a Gwen basher and can't help it, don't bother reading this. Also, we're pretending that Owen & Tosh never died because we like them for this story. Go with us. Whoops. This series is a little peek look at the life and times of Jack & Gwen's son, CJ Harkness, starting from birth on forward. Later we'll be introducing little Cara Jones, but we have a long way to go before that happens. So stay tuned!
Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrow and play with them. Sometimes I leave their clothes off, sometimes I don't ...
Cross-Posted: tw_kids, torch_wood, torchwood_fic.
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One thing is as certain as death and that's life. It had been a long time since there was any sort of life around the home of Torchwood Three, but when little CJ came into the world, that all changed. He was concieved after Jack returned home from the year that wasn't.
Down in the cell, Jack had realized that she was engaged. The realization that he had missed his chance and he'd never have one burned within the pit of his stomach as she stood before him. She looked up at him and explained that she wasn't marrying Rhys. Rhys had walked out the same day Jack had but she had fallen in love with and was marrying Ianto. He struggled to come to terms with this; to wrap his head around the knowledge that in the time that he'd been gone, they had fallen in love. His Ianto & his Gwen. "And being in this place, close quarters, picking up the pieces, you bond with the one person who feels the loss as deep as anyone," she had said, looking up at him with those big eyes and as he struggled to understand, he noticed a shadow out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to lock eyes with Ianto. Ever faithful, ever trusted, beautiful Ianto.
"But this doesn't change anything," Ianto remarked, leaning his shoulder against the wall, watching Jack calmly as if something in that look gave everything away. The realization dawned on him very quickly as Ianto smirked at them before turning on his heel, shoving off the wall and went back upstairs to leave them alone. At that moment, they had invited him into their relationship, sharing their bed with him and when the news came down that Gwen was pregnant, that was their news to share as well.
However, when the baby was born, there was no doubt who his father was.
He was born with an opinion. A very loud, very frequent opinion and an appetite to match. Today was no different, as Jack carried the carseat in, his military coat billowing behind him. CJ wasn't crying for much of anything except something to eat and Jack too was feeling the pain. Gwen followed behind, wearing her trademark jeans and teeshirt, Ianto carrying the caboose with his sharp suit. It had been three weeks since CJ had been born and he generally didn't cry unless he was bored, being ignored or hungry (remind you of anyone?) so it was just a process of elimination on which one of those it was. Jack sat the seat on his desk and they had let Ianto dress the boy, so he had his own matching, very micro military coat. And the trousers and braces to match. Jack found this both amusing and a pain in the ass when it came time to change his nappy. Perhaps that was Ianto's intent the whole time, to make Jack's first forgo into parenthood after some hundred years a pain. Ha ha, very funny Ianto.
"Gwen, do you have his bottle?" Jack asked, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it up as CJ's cries escalated from whimpers to screams in .004 seconds. "Okay, okay, hold on," he said, trying to maneuver the boy out of the carseat. He always had a shit time with this part. He groaned and was about to use his pocket knife to cut the straps when Gwen came in. She pressed a button and viola. Jack sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I just ... will never figure out this fucking thing," he said, resting one hand on his hip.
"You want to do this or me?" Gwen gave him a bemused expression, holding the bottle and shaking it.
Jack was curious about that look and the others in the Hub laughing, Owen hard from somewhere down in the medical bay. Jack furrowed his brows and he yanked the bottle from her. "You cut that out! I can do this!" Gwen laughed and shrugged, as though to say she never doubted it for a second before leaving the room. Jack was determined now. He looked at the baby, whose face was angry and red, his tiny hands clutched into fists as if he couldn't want ANOTHER MINUTE and he was going to STARVE TO DEATH if someone didn't feed him. Jack huffed at the others laughing out in the main Hub, picking up the baby and cradling him close. "It's okay, hold on," he said offering the baby the nipple on the bottle, the baby quieting instantly. "There you go, thatsa boy," he muttered, before looking around. He was swaying a little to calm the baby. "Okay, who the fu -- " pause, biting his lip and clearing his throat. " -- who the he -- " another pause. No cursing around the baby. Right. He sighed heavily. " -- who took my effin' chair!" More laughter. "Bastards," he muttered, leaning down to whisper to the baby. "Don't tell your mum I said that." He walked around the office until he found it in the other room, using his foot - literally - to drag it back to his desk. Jack sat down carefully in the chair, leaning back in it to put his feet on the desk. This wasn't so bad.
Without really realizing it, Jack started singing a lullaby to CJ that he remembered his mother having sung to his little brother. It was something that had been so much apart of him, he hadn't even realized he was doing it as he was lost in thought, watching the baby eat until he was so full that he was having trouble staying awake. Again, that remind you of anyone? Something changed in Jack then, just like the snap of a rubber band. He slid his finger over the baby's cheek, at least the one that he CJ didn't already have ahold of and just felt a love that was so singular. For so long, he had felt like he didn't have a reason to come back to this planet, a reason to stay, but his reason was 10 little fingers, 10 little toes and carried his name.
That was the best reason of all.