[Torchwood] "Her Embarassing Dad" (PG-13)
Author's Note: Written for Any, any, Surro-Gate (American Dad) Featuring Jack Harkness and Alice Sangster. Implied Jack/Ianto. Part of the "Never Doing That Again" series
It had been months since the last time her father had called and while his secrecy and infrequency in contacting her annoyed her, any chance to talk to him was welcome.
"You're going to have a brother or sister soon; that's why I've been scarce," Jack told her over the phone and from his tone, he sounded excited and nervous at the prospects.
"Congratulations!" she said, smiling, and yet she couldn't help feeling puzzled. She hadn't known that her dad was involved with another woman, but she did know he was involved with a slightly younger man. "So... are you adopting or have you hired a surrogate? Do you want help setting up the nursery?"
She heard him breathe in audibly in a way that meant he had something serious to tell her. "That's the thing: We aren't adopting and hiring a surrogate isn't exactly my idea... It's my baby.
"I'm pregnant. That's why I haven't been around in a while."
She very nearly dropped the phone: with her father, the things he said often seemed either an outrageous lie or an even more outrageous truth. "Dad, you must be under a lot of stress: are you feeling all right?"
"My doctor's staying on top of me all the time: I'm a bit stressed, but no more than anyone would be in this condition. I'm healthy, so's your little half-brother or sister."
A pause and then, "Maybe I'd better come around sometime, during the day, when Stephen is at school. He might get confused..." His voice trailed off: there were so many things about him that they had to hide already. And the fact that he wanted Stephen to not know about this meant her father was serious about this.
"All right: any time this week," she said with a sigh.
Two days later, while she was in the middle of making up an order for a client, the front bell rang with the pattern that her father used. On opening the door, she found him there, clad as usual in that World War II period coat he favored, but standing a bit differently, as if he were trying to hide something.
And she wouldn't exactly say that he had that proverbial glow about him, but there was a softness about his face, and his eyes had a quiet happiness in them.
"Dad, you look great," she said, not sure what else to say.
He grinned, but there was a cautiousness about it, unlike him. "Wait till I get in the door and declare my cargo," he said, glancing down at himself.
"You've kept your sense of humor at least," she said, stepping aside and pulling the door open farther, letting him enter.
Once inside, he stood up straighter and the unfamiliar curve under his coat became more obvious. She blinked, eyeing his waist: it could just be a case of middle age spread, but she knew that he worked out. She had galpals who had kids and she'd been pregnant herself: she knew the difference between a beer gut and gravidity.
"You can touch me if you like: you're one of the few people who won't lose a limb if they touch my belly," he said, playfully.
"I would, if it didn't feel so strange," she admitted. But swallowing her awkwardness, she reached out and laid a hand on Jack's swollen flank.
As she did so, something stirred under her hand and she felt it, the unmistakable feeling of a baby kicking or nudging mom's side with an elbow or a knee.
She pulled her hand away, looking up at him. "How did this happen? You fathered me, but..." her voice trailed away.
"Won't make you queasy with the particulars, but we'll say I'm a very gifted man," he said, with that little smile that suggested there was more than he was willing to let on, but wouldn't, for her sanity's sake.
"So your boyfriend is the father?" she asked.
"Well, the *other* father," he replied. "We'll say I'm the primary father."
"So, do you know what you're having?" she asked.
"Not yet, but I have a feeling you'll have a sister soon," he said. "Been having dreams about a little girl with my eyes and my boyfriend's chin. I don't dream often, so when I do, I take it to mean something."
It was too much for her to handle and she felt herself tearing up. Jack noted this, and a wistful look of something approaching regret came into his pale eyes.
"No, don't look like that: it's your life and your body," she said, raising one hand, trying to make it look like this didn't really bother her. But it did: so much about this man that she didn't know, and he was her own father.
"Doesn't bother you that I'm more than I seem, does it?" he asked.
"Would it make it any different if it did? Nothing seems to faze you, one way or the other," she said.
He grinned but the wistful look did not quite reach his pale eyes. "Well, like that Lady Gaga song says, 'I was born this way'."
She managed a small smile. "Guess that puts your life on the right track for you," she said. "I won't keep you: this must be tiring you."
"Maybe a little: my stamina hasn't been what it usually is. That normal?" And there might be a flicker of concern in his eyes.
"Stephen had me pretty tired, especially the last trimester," she admitted. Such a strange question to ask, but perhaps the strangeness came only from the one asking the question. "I won't keep you: take care of yourself and...maybe someday soon, when Stephen's with his dad, your boyfriend and I can get together."
"Ianto would like that, but be warned: he's a fussy type, completely unlike me," Jack said.
"Opposites attract," she noted.
"But when they do, things happen," Jack said, looking down at himself.
It had been months since the last time her father had called and while his secrecy and infrequency in contacting her annoyed her, any chance to talk to him was welcome.
"You're going to have a brother or sister soon; that's why I've been scarce," Jack told her over the phone and from his tone, he sounded excited and nervous at the prospects.
"Congratulations!" she said, smiling, and yet she couldn't help feeling puzzled. She hadn't known that her dad was involved with another woman, but she did know he was involved with a slightly younger man. "So... are you adopting or have you hired a surrogate? Do you want help setting up the nursery?"
She heard him breathe in audibly in a way that meant he had something serious to tell her. "That's the thing: We aren't adopting and hiring a surrogate isn't exactly my idea... It's my baby.
"I'm pregnant. That's why I haven't been around in a while."
She very nearly dropped the phone: with her father, the things he said often seemed either an outrageous lie or an even more outrageous truth. "Dad, you must be under a lot of stress: are you feeling all right?"
"My doctor's staying on top of me all the time: I'm a bit stressed, but no more than anyone would be in this condition. I'm healthy, so's your little half-brother or sister."
A pause and then, "Maybe I'd better come around sometime, during the day, when Stephen is at school. He might get confused..." His voice trailed off: there were so many things about him that they had to hide already. And the fact that he wanted Stephen to not know about this meant her father was serious about this.
"All right: any time this week," she said with a sigh.
Two days later, while she was in the middle of making up an order for a client, the front bell rang with the pattern that her father used. On opening the door, she found him there, clad as usual in that World War II period coat he favored, but standing a bit differently, as if he were trying to hide something.
And she wouldn't exactly say that he had that proverbial glow about him, but there was a softness about his face, and his eyes had a quiet happiness in them.
"Dad, you look great," she said, not sure what else to say.
He grinned, but there was a cautiousness about it, unlike him. "Wait till I get in the door and declare my cargo," he said, glancing down at himself.
"You've kept your sense of humor at least," she said, stepping aside and pulling the door open farther, letting him enter.
Once inside, he stood up straighter and the unfamiliar curve under his coat became more obvious. She blinked, eyeing his waist: it could just be a case of middle age spread, but she knew that he worked out. She had galpals who had kids and she'd been pregnant herself: she knew the difference between a beer gut and gravidity.
"You can touch me if you like: you're one of the few people who won't lose a limb if they touch my belly," he said, playfully.
"I would, if it didn't feel so strange," she admitted. But swallowing her awkwardness, she reached out and laid a hand on Jack's swollen flank.
As she did so, something stirred under her hand and she felt it, the unmistakable feeling of a baby kicking or nudging mom's side with an elbow or a knee.
She pulled her hand away, looking up at him. "How did this happen? You fathered me, but..." her voice trailed away.
"Won't make you queasy with the particulars, but we'll say I'm a very gifted man," he said, with that little smile that suggested there was more than he was willing to let on, but wouldn't, for her sanity's sake.
"So your boyfriend is the father?" she asked.
"Well, the *other* father," he replied. "We'll say I'm the primary father."
"So, do you know what you're having?" she asked.
"Not yet, but I have a feeling you'll have a sister soon," he said. "Been having dreams about a little girl with my eyes and my boyfriend's chin. I don't dream often, so when I do, I take it to mean something."
It was too much for her to handle and she felt herself tearing up. Jack noted this, and a wistful look of something approaching regret came into his pale eyes.
"No, don't look like that: it's your life and your body," she said, raising one hand, trying to make it look like this didn't really bother her. But it did: so much about this man that she didn't know, and he was her own father.
"Doesn't bother you that I'm more than I seem, does it?" he asked.
"Would it make it any different if it did? Nothing seems to faze you, one way or the other," she said.
He grinned but the wistful look did not quite reach his pale eyes. "Well, like that Lady Gaga song says, 'I was born this way'."
She managed a small smile. "Guess that puts your life on the right track for you," she said. "I won't keep you: this must be tiring you."
"Maybe a little: my stamina hasn't been what it usually is. That normal?" And there might be a flicker of concern in his eyes.
"Stephen had me pretty tired, especially the last trimester," she admitted. Such a strange question to ask, but perhaps the strangeness came only from the one asking the question. "I won't keep you: take care of yourself and...maybe someday soon, when Stephen's with his dad, your boyfriend and I can get together."
"Ianto would like that, but be warned: he's a fussy type, completely unlike me," Jack said.
"Opposites attract," she noted.
"But when they do, things happen," Jack said, looking down at himself.