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shattered_ficsTitle: For A Day (Part IV)
Rating: R
Pairing/Character(s): Ianto Jones/Jack Harkness & Ianto/OFC
Summary: A girl is mysteriously dumped on Torchwoods front door, no one knows where she came from, what or if there is anything wrong with her. The only thing known is Ianto has an unnatural attraction to her.
Warnings: Spoilers Throughout Season Two (Up To Adrift)
Length: Long
Word Count: 4.091
Chapter #: (IV/V)
WIP or Complete: Work In Progress
Author's Note: I have finally completed the story, and the last two parts will be the final parts.
By![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
daydreamgraphix
Part I | Part II | Part III
“Jack,” Owen said quickly as he caught Jack before entering the autopsy room.
“I need to get these to Natalie,” Jack said raising his tray.
“It can wait,” Owen quickly took the tray from Jack and placed it on his workstation. He led Jack away from the autopsy room. Worried they would be over heard. “I’m worried about Natalie.”
“We should be,” Jack said shortly his eyes flickering toward the autopsy room. He could just make out the top of Ianto’s head.
“I don’t think you get what I’m trying to say.”
“What are you trying to say?” Jack quickly looked at Owen.
“No human body could possibly withstand a fetus growing within them in a matter of eight hours,” Owen started carefully “There will be complications. I don’t know if it’ll be immediate or hours after or maybe even a few days, I can’t tell. But it doesn’t look good for her.” He finished looking back at the autopsy room.
“What are you saying Owen?” Jack asked slowly.
“Natalie’s going to die,” Owen said carefully. “Her organs are working over
time to support this growing baby. I don’t know if I can figure out a way to stop it for ever. Who would do something like this Jack?”
“I have a feeling,” Jack said slowly walking to Owen’s station and picked up the tray again. “I thought a lot about this last night, its how I found out that we missed something completely.”
“What?”
“She was sprayed with the strongest alien aphrodisiac in the known galaxy. I’ve seen it before, used it even,” Jack said lowering his voice “The first person who sees the wearer falls instantly in lust. It wears out when the deed is done. But it tends to linger. I felt something was off with Natalie when she was brought in. But I couldn’t place my finger on it.”
“Why didn’t it affect you?” Owen wondered he knew perfectly well why it didn’t bother him.
“Immune?” Jack shrugged “I used it many times. Lots of one night stands with that.”
“Well if it wears off after the deed,” Owen started slowly “Why isn’t Ianto backing away from all of this? Why is he invested?”
“His feelings are genuine,” Jack said in a strained voice. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was true, Ianto was in love with someone else.
“Jack I--”
“I’m not making this personal,” Jack said shortly walking away from Owen.
-----------------------
Gwen and Toshiko arrived with an hour to go until Natalie was due. Both were understandably shocked but Jack took them aside and explained the situation to them. After they hovered around the autopsy room like midwives asking Natalie at every wince if she needed anything or if they could get her some ice chips. The contractions hadn’t started yet but everyone was jumpy. Jack stood on the top stair looking down at his team. Gwen and Tosh fluttered about; Owen kept monitoring Natalie through his computer and Ianto. Ianto sat quietly and dutifully by her side, never letting go of her hand and jumping at any pained look on her face. Jack’s heart fell as he watched his young lover. He had never seen Ianto like this before.
Jack took a deep breath and leaned on the hand rail, and looked intently at Ianto. He had to tell him, but he wasn’t sure how Ianto would take the news. Jack knew that Ianto would try to put the blame on himself, but this was no one’s fault, he needed to make Ianto understand that. Standing up straight he cleared his throat. Everyone looked up at him slowly.
“Ianto I need to talk with you,” Jack said quickly disappearing from the room.
“I’ll be back,” Ianto said to Natalie kissing her forehead before he followed Jack out of the autopsy room. He spotted Jack pacing nervously in his office. Closing the door half way he walked up to the older man. “Jack?”
“Ianto I have to tell you something,” Jack said quickly turning around. “About Natalie.”
“Okay,” He said calmly but Jack could see the nervousness flash in his eyes.
“Last night I was determined to find something wrong with Natalie--”
“Jealous, I told you,”
“Ianto please.” Jack looked at him seriously, Ianto nodded and Jack continued “I did some test on her clothing. The results that came up were a known aphrodisiac used in many ruses and plots. The wearer would spray themselves and the first guy they met would fall instantly in lust with the wearer. It’s supposed to wear off after the deed is done. But it looked like that didn’t happen.”
“So you mean my feelings for her aren’t real?”
“I’m not saying that,” Jack said shaking his head.
“What are you saying?” Ianto asked slowly glancing to the autopsy room were
Natalie lay surrounded by his co-workers.
“I’m saying no matter what, you would’ve had feeling for her--” Jack said quietly
“So what I think of the love I have for her it’s fake?” Ianto sighed looking back at the older man.
“Again no, you have genuine feelings for her. The spray on her is lust, it doesn’t make you fall in love with her,” Jack said slowly cupping Ianto’s cheek “Let’s just say the spray was counteracted, it did its purpose, but made you fall in love not lust. Like I said the feelings were there, but without the spray probably wouldn’t act as rash.”
“I’m sorry,” Ianto said quietly as Jack pulled him into a hug “I should’ve listened.”
“I can’t stop love,” Jack sighed rubbing Ianto’s back lightly.
“Jack I--”
“Ianto!” Owen called from the autopsy room. He backed out of the hug, looking worriedly at Jack before running into the room.
“Owen?” Ianto said running down the stairs to Natalie’s side gripping her hand tightly. She had a strained look on her face. “What’s going on?”
“The contractions have started,” Owen said quickly pulling on gloves. “It should only be a few minutes. I have a feeling the dilation period is accelerated as well.”
“What can I do?” Ianto asked his stomach falling. He looked up at Jack who had just entered the room. Jack had never seen Ianto so scared before.
“Keep her calm,” Owen said slowly. “Natalie—I need you to hold off on pushing for me. I know you feel like you have to but you’ve got to wait.”
“I don’t think I can Owen,” Natalie said already exhausted. “I’m not even pushing but I can feel the baby coming.” She groaned gripping Ianto’s hand in a vice like grip.
“Natalie don’t do anything,” Owen said frantically.
“I’m not,” Natalie said with panicked eyes looking at Ianto who was trying not to mirror her look.
“Owen, what’s going on?” Ianto asked quickly looking at Owen who was working frantically. “She’s not pushing, why is the baby coming?”
“I don’t know!” He replied breathlessly “It must me part of the acceleration, the baby coming out without being fully dilated.”
“Owen it hurts,” Natalie said quietly.
“She’s only six centimeters,” Owen said slowly looking up at Ianto.
“Can’t you stop it?” Ianto asked desperately “There’s gotta be a way to wait
for those four centimeters!”
“I don’t think there is,” He said shaking his head “Gwen get me that blanket. This baby is coming now. There, the last four centimeters—to quickly—Now Natalie when I say it you have to give me one big push, can you do that for me?”
“Natalie?” Ianto looking at her slowly, his heart stopped. “Owen, she’s unconscious.”
“Shit, Ianto we need her awake for this,” Owen said quickly grabbing the blanket from Gwen.
“Natalie,” He said bending over her rubbing the side of her face. Tears appeared in the corners of his eyes as he heard her shallow breathing. He kissed her lightly as she stirred opening her eyes “Natalie, baby, we need you to push. Just one push and it’s all over.”
In a matter of seconds the baby was out of Natalie and the only sound that could be heard were its cries ringing throughout the Hub. Jack slowly walked down the stairs and to Owen as he whipped and cleaned the baby. Ianto and Natalie waited quietly for their child. Jack blocked their view of the baby as Owen worked on getting the blood sample.
“Well?” Jack asked quietly.
“No umbilical cord, but there is a belly button, it’s almost like a clone,” Owen said removing a small sample of blood from the crying baby.
“You get that analyzed, I’ll hand over the baby,” Jack said quietly as he gathered up the baby in his arms. Slowly he walked over to Ianto and smiled “It’s a boy.”
“A boy,” Natalie said reaching for the baby. Jack placed him gently into her arms as he smiled. He stood next to Ianto as Natalie quietly held the baby.
“What do you want to name him?” Jack asked quietly as Natalie smiled up at Ianto.
“Your choice Ianto,” Natalie said weakly handing the baby over to Ianto. He grinned down at his son; he slowly pulled back the blanket to get a better look at him.
“I think we should name him Riley,” Ianto said smiling down at Natalie.
“Perfect name,” Natalie said quietly as Ianto bent down and kissed her forehead. Her eyes drifted shut and her breathing became harsh “Thank you Ianto,” a smile crossed her face as she opened her eyes as much as she
could “for the child--”
“Owen!” Ianto screamed frantically as he handed off baby Riley to Jack. He grabbed Natalie’s hand as tightly as her could, he only received a weak grasp in return.
“Ianto what’s wrong?” Jack asked slowly as he cradled the baby close.
“It’s Natalie, she’s,” He struggled for the right word as he lend over her running his hand down her placid face. “Dying. Please Owen!”
“Ianto what is it?” Owen asked running from his desk into the room. “The baby?”
“It’s Natalie,” Ianto said looking up at his friend “Do something.”
“Ianto,” Owen said quietly unsure exactly what he could say to make this all better “There is nothing that we can do.”
“Nothing?” He asked looking around the room at his stone faced coworkers. “You knew this would happen?”
“Just not this soon,” Owen said slowly “The body could not possibly handle a baby growing within them in a matter of eight hours, you saw how the labor went, imagine what took place inside.”
“No, no you have to do something,” Ianto said in hysterics “That baby needs it’s mother. I can’t—not—I can’t raise him, not in this job! He needs his mother!”
“Ianto,” Jack said calmly after handing the baby over to Toshiko who took the baby from the Autopsy room, followed by Gwen “There is nothing we can do.” He rested a hand calmly on Ianto’s shoulder.
Ianto looked slowly at Natalie, she was still breathing, but it was in ragged shallow breaths. He did this to her, he killed her; if he hadn’t taken her home she would be alive right now. Possibly at home, living the life she wanted never knowing who Ianto was or what happened to her. He ran his hand lightly down her face; slowly she moved her arm and placed her hand on top of his. Lightly she held his hand on her face.
“Don’t blame yourself, Ianto.” Natalie said quietly turning her head towards him.
“What about Riley,” Ianto asked quietly as tears leaked from his eyes.
“Will be good what ever you decide to do,” She said smiling weakly. “I have faith in you.”
“You only knew me a day,” Ianto said slowly “You don’t know what I’ll do, look what I did to you.”
“It was my choice, don’t forget that okay? Who ever did this to me gave me the best night I’d had since I lost Riley.”
“It cost you your life,” He explained as Jack stood beside him. Resting a hand on his shoulder Ianto looked up at Jack.
“Ianto, just listen to her.” Jack said calmly.
“I don’t want to lose her,” Ianto said pushing Jack’s hand off his shoulder. Jack slowly moved away from Ianto. “I can’t.”
“It’s okay Ianto,” Natalie smiled kindly as she pulled him back to her side. He sat on the edge of the table and smiled down at her. “Just do me a favor,
what ever you do, make sure Riley is okay.” She swallowed hard, she was having trouble breathing. “I…there’s something….not…right—he’s….special.”
“Owen,” Jack said as calmly as possible.
Owen walked over to the table he felt for Natalie’s pulse and could not feel anything. Her hand was placed limply in Ianto’s hand. Owen looked up at Jack and shook his head. Jack slowly walked back over to Ianto and placed his hand back on his shoulder. This time Ianto responded he placed Natalie’s hand lightly beside her. Wrapping his arms tightly around Jack, he held him close quietly crying into his shoulder.
“Owen, you know what to do,” Jack said quietly.
“No!” Ianto backed away from Jack, he glanced at Natalie before looking back
at him “We’re not going to have her dumped and picked up like some murder or suicide. I want to keep her here.”
“Ianto we can’t,” Jack said shaking his head.
“I don’t care,” Ianto said slowly “I want her to be a missing person’s case, not some suicide. She would never do that.”
“You only knew her for a day,” Owen said simply.
“It wasn’t enough!” He spat back. His mind quickly flashed back to the conversation he had with Owen over a year ago that mirrored the exact same thing he was just saying.
“Okay Ianto, we’ll keep her here,” Jack said slowly. Ianto calmed as he slowly walked back towards Jack and rested his head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around the younger man as Owen covered up Natalie with a sheet. “Have the blood results finished yet?”
“Not yet,” Owen said shaking his head. “I’ll check on that now, they should be done processing.”
“Ianto,” Jack said quietly as Owen went towards his computer. “Riley, needs his father.”
“I can’t Jack,” Ianto said looking up at his lover “I can’t take care of him.”
“I know we’ll figure it out, don’t worry we’ll figure out what’s best,” Jack smiled kissing Ianto’s forehead.
“JACK!” Tosh said frantically. “Jack come quick!”
Ianto and Jack exchanged looked and ran up the stairs, they found Gwen and Tosh sitting at the couch. Gwen was holding lightly onto Riley but something was happening to the baby. It was shaking uncontrollably, but it wasn’t a seizure, Jack had seen it before. Nothing could be done until it stopped. The baby would continue to shake and quake for another ten minutes and the process would be complete. They would only have a matter of minutes afterwards to stop before anything happened.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ianto asked looking from his baby to Jack’s placid face. “Jack!”
“I’ve seen this before,” Jack said unnaturally calm as he picked up the small baby from Gwen’s arms. He was able to stop the shaking for the most part. Ianto looked frantically at his child not sure what was wrong with him or if he was dying.
“Jack tell me what’s wrong with my child!” Ianto demanded looking furiously at the older man as he continued to look at the baby.
“JACK! He’s got three parts blood! Three parts!! I’ve never seen anything like it. The third part looks like it’s supposed to integrate with the other parts; I think I just caught it.” Owen said running up to Jack as he held onto Riley. “But the third part isn’t in our system!”
“Run it backwards,” Jack said slowly trying to keep his cool. Everything had blown up in front of him in a matter of minutes. “It should be in there.”
“Jack what is it--”
“Just do what I say!” Jack said loudly as the baby continued to scream. He rocked him slowly walking away from the girls and a panic stricken Ianto. He murmured to the baby in his native tongue trying to calm him to stall the process.
“Jack,” Ianto said carefully trying to take the still crying child from the older mans arms. Jack looked down at the baby and handed him slowly to his father, hoping that would quell the baby until Owen confirmed his suspicions. The baby quieted almost instantly, knowing that Ianto was his father. “What’s wrong with him? It’s alien isn’t it?”
“I have my suspicions but yes, who ever attacked Natalie was alien. To this planet at least to have the birth acceleration. But I can’t for sure say what it is Ianto,” Jack said looking at the younger man slowly. “Does that change how you feel?”
“I love my son,” Ianto said carefully “But I still don’t know if I can keep him.”
“Jack!” Owen said running back into the room. “It’s the sleepers! He’s go sleeper DNA!”
“Tosh,” Jack said turning to her quickly “Do you still have that sleepers equipment?”
“Some where around here I do,” She said standing up “It’s some where in the Achieves I think.”
“I’ll--” Ianto started but Gwen cut him off.
“We’ll look,” She said quickly as Tosh and her ran into the lower parts of the Hub.
“Do we know what they want?” Ianto asked looking down at his son with a sympathetic look. The only reason he was brought into this world was to destroy and reveal secrets. He didn’t want his son to have that life and die for some stupid plot to take over the world.
“I have an idea,” Jack said as Owen reached for something on his desk. “What are you doing?”
“Brain wave patterns,” Owen said slowly holding up the small box like device. “The baby is obviously to young to kill us all.” Ianto glared at Owen “Sorry, but there might be another reason. Let me just see if there is anything special going on here.”
Ianto looked at Jack frantically unsure if he wanted to find out exactly how his son was part of this long plot to take over Earth. It was his baby, barely one hour old and he was already a threat, and motherless. He didn’t want to completely damn his son on the day of his birth, if he would even last through the day.
“Jack,” Ianto said quietly.
“It’s the right thing Yan,” Jack said taking Riley from his father before handing him over to Owen. Slowly he ran the device up and down, backward and forward over the babies small head. “We’ll get him to normal, it’s okay.”
“If there is a normal,” He sighed shoving his hands in his jean pockets. “He’s part alien, lost his mother in one day and was brought into the world to destroy. How can he go back to normal.”
“The Sleeper DNA should be gone soon,” Jack smiled trying to be helpful but Ianto was unconvinced, he just shrugged slowly.
“His brain waves are off the chart!” Owen exclaimed looking up from the device before glancing down at the small child in his arm. “He’s retaining everything from the Hub. And I mean everything! Codes, computer regulations, anything that would reveal how to get in. As well as our weaknesses.”
“I knew it,” Jack said quietly as Ianto took his baby back in his arms, shielding him. “That’s not going to help. We’ve only got a few minutes before the process is over. When his brain is filled with the information needed he’ll--”
“Die?” Ianto said with a small voice as he took a seat on the couch. “We can’t Jack, we’ve got to save him.”
“I don’t know how to stop this Ianto!” Jack said desperately running a hand down his tired face “It’s kill or be killed.”
“You are not killing my child” Ianto said angrily.
“It’s not even yours!” Jack retaliated, Ianto looked like he had been slapped. He glared up at Jack looking like he could kill him. “Look--the baby was brought here for a reason. If we can’t stop it.”
“But you have to!” Ianto said quietly.
“You don’t even want the baby Ianto,” Owen added slowly.
“I haven’t decided that yet,” He said mostly to himself as he looked down at his son. He didn’t seem to have a care in the world, he didn’t know he was part of some ruse or that he had only a matter of minutes before he died.
“We found it,” Tosh said running up from the depths of the Hub with a small black box in her hand. “I tried to recalibrate it on the way up. Do we know what Riley’s purpose is?”
“To reveal the threat,” Jack said simply as Tosh took a seat next to Ianto.
“Can you fix him? Make him better--human?” Ianto asked looking worriedly from his baby to Tosh who nodded slowly, biting her lip.
“Just hold him still, as still as you can,” She said quietly.
Ianto held out his son in front of Tosh as she pointed the box directly at him. It whirred and beeped but seemed to be having no effect on Riley. Ianto looked frantically at the screen as Tosh tried to change something about the calibration again. Riley’s brain was complex and almost machine like, but there was a human element to it and that’s what Tosh had to bring forward. Slowly a small trickle of blood leaked out of Riley’s noise.
“Jack!” Ianto said frantically. Jack quickly turned around and picked up Riley as well as the box in Tosh’s hands. “What are you--”
“Shut up!” Jack said quickly holding down a green button on the device. The room went silent it seemed like no one was breathing waiting to see if this would be what Riley needed. The baby coughed and spluttered as Jack released the button with a sigh of relief. “All it needed was a little push.” Jack smiled up from the baby as everyone took a collective breath. “He should be fine now. The part of his brain that was them is gone, he’ll have no memory of this. He’ll be able to live a normal life.”
Ianto walked slowly up to Jack and took baby Riley from his arms. He smiled down at his son who was sleeping quietly. Jack slipped his arm around Ianto’s shoulders holding him close. Grabbing the bottom of his shirt, Ianto wiped the small streak of blood that came from his son’s nose. Turning his face into Jack’s shirt he let out a little sob. They didn’t have to hurt the baby at all, and he would be a able to live a normal life. But Ianto didn’t feel happy at all, for the first time he frowned at his son, now he didn’t know what he was going to do with him. Jack sensed something was wrong and turned toward Tosh and Gwen who were standing idly by Owen.
“Tosh, Gwen take Riley and get him some clothing and some food,” Jack smiled as the girls nodded slowly. Tosh came up toward Ianto and he handed Riley over willingly to his co-worker. She smiled at him as he nodded slowly.
“Jack what are we going to do?” Gwen asked slowly as she stood before the door.
“Just do what I say,” Jack said quickly and she followed Tosh out of the Hub. Jack slowly removed his arm from around Ianto’s shoulders and turned toward Owen. “Take care of Natalie. I need to talk with Ianto. Ianto--” He turned around quickly and realized that Ianto was no longer standing next to him. Looking back at Owen he pointed toward the Hub door.
“I think he went up,” Owen said quietly. “Give him some time. It’s been a rough twenty-four hours for him.”
“It has,” Jack sighed thrusting his hands in his pockets. “What do you think we should do about the baby?”
“I can’t exactly see us raising a child within the Hub,” Owen said slowly. “But it’s up to Ianto, it is his child. No matter what you said to him about it not being his.”
“I didn’t mean that,” Jack shrugged “I was just angry, frustrated.”
“Tell him that,” He said nodding upwards “He needs you more than ever Jack.”
“That’s what scares me,” Jack said quietly to himself as he went to follow Ianto outside.
Rating: R
Pairing/Character(s): Ianto Jones/Jack Harkness & Ianto/OFC
Summary: A girl is mysteriously dumped on Torchwoods front door, no one knows where she came from, what or if there is anything wrong with her. The only thing known is Ianto has an unnatural attraction to her.
Warnings: Spoilers Throughout Season Two (Up To Adrift)
Length: Long
Word Count: 4.091
Chapter #: (IV/V)
WIP or Complete: Work In Progress
Author's Note: I have finally completed the story, and the last two parts will be the final parts.
By
daydreamgraphixPart I | Part II | Part III
“Jack,” Owen said quickly as he caught Jack before entering the autopsy room.
“I need to get these to Natalie,” Jack said raising his tray.
“It can wait,” Owen quickly took the tray from Jack and placed it on his workstation. He led Jack away from the autopsy room. Worried they would be over heard. “I’m worried about Natalie.”
“We should be,” Jack said shortly his eyes flickering toward the autopsy room. He could just make out the top of Ianto’s head.
“I don’t think you get what I’m trying to say.”
“What are you trying to say?” Jack quickly looked at Owen.
“No human body could possibly withstand a fetus growing within them in a matter of eight hours,” Owen started carefully “There will be complications. I don’t know if it’ll be immediate or hours after or maybe even a few days, I can’t tell. But it doesn’t look good for her.” He finished looking back at the autopsy room.
“What are you saying Owen?” Jack asked slowly.
“Natalie’s going to die,” Owen said carefully. “Her organs are working over
time to support this growing baby. I don’t know if I can figure out a way to stop it for ever. Who would do something like this Jack?”
“I have a feeling,” Jack said slowly walking to Owen’s station and picked up the tray again. “I thought a lot about this last night, its how I found out that we missed something completely.”
“What?”
“She was sprayed with the strongest alien aphrodisiac in the known galaxy. I’ve seen it before, used it even,” Jack said lowering his voice “The first person who sees the wearer falls instantly in lust. It wears out when the deed is done. But it tends to linger. I felt something was off with Natalie when she was brought in. But I couldn’t place my finger on it.”
“Why didn’t it affect you?” Owen wondered he knew perfectly well why it didn’t bother him.
“Immune?” Jack shrugged “I used it many times. Lots of one night stands with that.”
“Well if it wears off after the deed,” Owen started slowly “Why isn’t Ianto backing away from all of this? Why is he invested?”
“His feelings are genuine,” Jack said in a strained voice. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was true, Ianto was in love with someone else.
“Jack I--”
“I’m not making this personal,” Jack said shortly walking away from Owen.
-----------------------
Gwen and Toshiko arrived with an hour to go until Natalie was due. Both were understandably shocked but Jack took them aside and explained the situation to them. After they hovered around the autopsy room like midwives asking Natalie at every wince if she needed anything or if they could get her some ice chips. The contractions hadn’t started yet but everyone was jumpy. Jack stood on the top stair looking down at his team. Gwen and Tosh fluttered about; Owen kept monitoring Natalie through his computer and Ianto. Ianto sat quietly and dutifully by her side, never letting go of her hand and jumping at any pained look on her face. Jack’s heart fell as he watched his young lover. He had never seen Ianto like this before.
Jack took a deep breath and leaned on the hand rail, and looked intently at Ianto. He had to tell him, but he wasn’t sure how Ianto would take the news. Jack knew that Ianto would try to put the blame on himself, but this was no one’s fault, he needed to make Ianto understand that. Standing up straight he cleared his throat. Everyone looked up at him slowly.
“Ianto I need to talk with you,” Jack said quickly disappearing from the room.
“I’ll be back,” Ianto said to Natalie kissing her forehead before he followed Jack out of the autopsy room. He spotted Jack pacing nervously in his office. Closing the door half way he walked up to the older man. “Jack?”
“Ianto I have to tell you something,” Jack said quickly turning around. “About Natalie.”
“Okay,” He said calmly but Jack could see the nervousness flash in his eyes.
“Last night I was determined to find something wrong with Natalie--”
“Jealous, I told you,”
“Ianto please.” Jack looked at him seriously, Ianto nodded and Jack continued “I did some test on her clothing. The results that came up were a known aphrodisiac used in many ruses and plots. The wearer would spray themselves and the first guy they met would fall instantly in lust with the wearer. It’s supposed to wear off after the deed is done. But it looked like that didn’t happen.”
“So you mean my feelings for her aren’t real?”
“I’m not saying that,” Jack said shaking his head.
“What are you saying?” Ianto asked slowly glancing to the autopsy room were
Natalie lay surrounded by his co-workers.
“I’m saying no matter what, you would’ve had feeling for her--” Jack said quietly
“So what I think of the love I have for her it’s fake?” Ianto sighed looking back at the older man.
“Again no, you have genuine feelings for her. The spray on her is lust, it doesn’t make you fall in love with her,” Jack said slowly cupping Ianto’s cheek “Let’s just say the spray was counteracted, it did its purpose, but made you fall in love not lust. Like I said the feelings were there, but without the spray probably wouldn’t act as rash.”
“I’m sorry,” Ianto said quietly as Jack pulled him into a hug “I should’ve listened.”
“I can’t stop love,” Jack sighed rubbing Ianto’s back lightly.
“Jack I--”
“Ianto!” Owen called from the autopsy room. He backed out of the hug, looking worriedly at Jack before running into the room.
“Owen?” Ianto said running down the stairs to Natalie’s side gripping her hand tightly. She had a strained look on her face. “What’s going on?”
“The contractions have started,” Owen said quickly pulling on gloves. “It should only be a few minutes. I have a feeling the dilation period is accelerated as well.”
“What can I do?” Ianto asked his stomach falling. He looked up at Jack who had just entered the room. Jack had never seen Ianto so scared before.
“Keep her calm,” Owen said slowly. “Natalie—I need you to hold off on pushing for me. I know you feel like you have to but you’ve got to wait.”
“I don’t think I can Owen,” Natalie said already exhausted. “I’m not even pushing but I can feel the baby coming.” She groaned gripping Ianto’s hand in a vice like grip.
“Natalie don’t do anything,” Owen said frantically.
“I’m not,” Natalie said with panicked eyes looking at Ianto who was trying not to mirror her look.
“Owen, what’s going on?” Ianto asked quickly looking at Owen who was working frantically. “She’s not pushing, why is the baby coming?”
“I don’t know!” He replied breathlessly “It must me part of the acceleration, the baby coming out without being fully dilated.”
“Owen it hurts,” Natalie said quietly.
“She’s only six centimeters,” Owen said slowly looking up at Ianto.
“Can’t you stop it?” Ianto asked desperately “There’s gotta be a way to wait
for those four centimeters!”
“I don’t think there is,” He said shaking his head “Gwen get me that blanket. This baby is coming now. There, the last four centimeters—to quickly—Now Natalie when I say it you have to give me one big push, can you do that for me?”
“Natalie?” Ianto looking at her slowly, his heart stopped. “Owen, she’s unconscious.”
“Shit, Ianto we need her awake for this,” Owen said quickly grabbing the blanket from Gwen.
“Natalie,” He said bending over her rubbing the side of her face. Tears appeared in the corners of his eyes as he heard her shallow breathing. He kissed her lightly as she stirred opening her eyes “Natalie, baby, we need you to push. Just one push and it’s all over.”
In a matter of seconds the baby was out of Natalie and the only sound that could be heard were its cries ringing throughout the Hub. Jack slowly walked down the stairs and to Owen as he whipped and cleaned the baby. Ianto and Natalie waited quietly for their child. Jack blocked their view of the baby as Owen worked on getting the blood sample.
“Well?” Jack asked quietly.
“No umbilical cord, but there is a belly button, it’s almost like a clone,” Owen said removing a small sample of blood from the crying baby.
“You get that analyzed, I’ll hand over the baby,” Jack said quietly as he gathered up the baby in his arms. Slowly he walked over to Ianto and smiled “It’s a boy.”
“A boy,” Natalie said reaching for the baby. Jack placed him gently into her arms as he smiled. He stood next to Ianto as Natalie quietly held the baby.
“What do you want to name him?” Jack asked quietly as Natalie smiled up at Ianto.
“Your choice Ianto,” Natalie said weakly handing the baby over to Ianto. He grinned down at his son; he slowly pulled back the blanket to get a better look at him.
“I think we should name him Riley,” Ianto said smiling down at Natalie.
“Perfect name,” Natalie said quietly as Ianto bent down and kissed her forehead. Her eyes drifted shut and her breathing became harsh “Thank you Ianto,” a smile crossed her face as she opened her eyes as much as she
could “for the child--”
“Owen!” Ianto screamed frantically as he handed off baby Riley to Jack. He grabbed Natalie’s hand as tightly as her could, he only received a weak grasp in return.
“Ianto what’s wrong?” Jack asked slowly as he cradled the baby close.
“It’s Natalie, she’s,” He struggled for the right word as he lend over her running his hand down her placid face. “Dying. Please Owen!”
“Ianto what is it?” Owen asked running from his desk into the room. “The baby?”
“It’s Natalie,” Ianto said looking up at his friend “Do something.”
“Ianto,” Owen said quietly unsure exactly what he could say to make this all better “There is nothing that we can do.”
“Nothing?” He asked looking around the room at his stone faced coworkers. “You knew this would happen?”
“Just not this soon,” Owen said slowly “The body could not possibly handle a baby growing within them in a matter of eight hours, you saw how the labor went, imagine what took place inside.”
“No, no you have to do something,” Ianto said in hysterics “That baby needs it’s mother. I can’t—not—I can’t raise him, not in this job! He needs his mother!”
“Ianto,” Jack said calmly after handing the baby over to Toshiko who took the baby from the Autopsy room, followed by Gwen “There is nothing we can do.” He rested a hand calmly on Ianto’s shoulder.
Ianto looked slowly at Natalie, she was still breathing, but it was in ragged shallow breaths. He did this to her, he killed her; if he hadn’t taken her home she would be alive right now. Possibly at home, living the life she wanted never knowing who Ianto was or what happened to her. He ran his hand lightly down her face; slowly she moved her arm and placed her hand on top of his. Lightly she held his hand on her face.
“Don’t blame yourself, Ianto.” Natalie said quietly turning her head towards him.
“What about Riley,” Ianto asked quietly as tears leaked from his eyes.
“Will be good what ever you decide to do,” She said smiling weakly. “I have faith in you.”
“You only knew me a day,” Ianto said slowly “You don’t know what I’ll do, look what I did to you.”
“It was my choice, don’t forget that okay? Who ever did this to me gave me the best night I’d had since I lost Riley.”
“It cost you your life,” He explained as Jack stood beside him. Resting a hand on his shoulder Ianto looked up at Jack.
“Ianto, just listen to her.” Jack said calmly.
“I don’t want to lose her,” Ianto said pushing Jack’s hand off his shoulder. Jack slowly moved away from Ianto. “I can’t.”
“It’s okay Ianto,” Natalie smiled kindly as she pulled him back to her side. He sat on the edge of the table and smiled down at her. “Just do me a favor,
what ever you do, make sure Riley is okay.” She swallowed hard, she was having trouble breathing. “I…there’s something….not…right—he’s….special.”
“Owen,” Jack said as calmly as possible.
Owen walked over to the table he felt for Natalie’s pulse and could not feel anything. Her hand was placed limply in Ianto’s hand. Owen looked up at Jack and shook his head. Jack slowly walked back over to Ianto and placed his hand back on his shoulder. This time Ianto responded he placed Natalie’s hand lightly beside her. Wrapping his arms tightly around Jack, he held him close quietly crying into his shoulder.
“Owen, you know what to do,” Jack said quietly.
“No!” Ianto backed away from Jack, he glanced at Natalie before looking back
at him “We’re not going to have her dumped and picked up like some murder or suicide. I want to keep her here.”
“Ianto we can’t,” Jack said shaking his head.
“I don’t care,” Ianto said slowly “I want her to be a missing person’s case, not some suicide. She would never do that.”
“You only knew her for a day,” Owen said simply.
“It wasn’t enough!” He spat back. His mind quickly flashed back to the conversation he had with Owen over a year ago that mirrored the exact same thing he was just saying.
“Okay Ianto, we’ll keep her here,” Jack said slowly. Ianto calmed as he slowly walked back towards Jack and rested his head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around the younger man as Owen covered up Natalie with a sheet. “Have the blood results finished yet?”
“Not yet,” Owen said shaking his head. “I’ll check on that now, they should be done processing.”
“Ianto,” Jack said quietly as Owen went towards his computer. “Riley, needs his father.”
“I can’t Jack,” Ianto said looking up at his lover “I can’t take care of him.”
“I know we’ll figure it out, don’t worry we’ll figure out what’s best,” Jack smiled kissing Ianto’s forehead.
“JACK!” Tosh said frantically. “Jack come quick!”
Ianto and Jack exchanged looked and ran up the stairs, they found Gwen and Tosh sitting at the couch. Gwen was holding lightly onto Riley but something was happening to the baby. It was shaking uncontrollably, but it wasn’t a seizure, Jack had seen it before. Nothing could be done until it stopped. The baby would continue to shake and quake for another ten minutes and the process would be complete. They would only have a matter of minutes afterwards to stop before anything happened.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ianto asked looking from his baby to Jack’s placid face. “Jack!”
“I’ve seen this before,” Jack said unnaturally calm as he picked up the small baby from Gwen’s arms. He was able to stop the shaking for the most part. Ianto looked frantically at his child not sure what was wrong with him or if he was dying.
“Jack tell me what’s wrong with my child!” Ianto demanded looking furiously at the older man as he continued to look at the baby.
“JACK! He’s got three parts blood! Three parts!! I’ve never seen anything like it. The third part looks like it’s supposed to integrate with the other parts; I think I just caught it.” Owen said running up to Jack as he held onto Riley. “But the third part isn’t in our system!”
“Run it backwards,” Jack said slowly trying to keep his cool. Everything had blown up in front of him in a matter of minutes. “It should be in there.”
“Jack what is it--”
“Just do what I say!” Jack said loudly as the baby continued to scream. He rocked him slowly walking away from the girls and a panic stricken Ianto. He murmured to the baby in his native tongue trying to calm him to stall the process.
“Jack,” Ianto said carefully trying to take the still crying child from the older mans arms. Jack looked down at the baby and handed him slowly to his father, hoping that would quell the baby until Owen confirmed his suspicions. The baby quieted almost instantly, knowing that Ianto was his father. “What’s wrong with him? It’s alien isn’t it?”
“I have my suspicions but yes, who ever attacked Natalie was alien. To this planet at least to have the birth acceleration. But I can’t for sure say what it is Ianto,” Jack said looking at the younger man slowly. “Does that change how you feel?”
“I love my son,” Ianto said carefully “But I still don’t know if I can keep him.”
“Jack!” Owen said running back into the room. “It’s the sleepers! He’s go sleeper DNA!”
“Tosh,” Jack said turning to her quickly “Do you still have that sleepers equipment?”
“Some where around here I do,” She said standing up “It’s some where in the Achieves I think.”
“I’ll--” Ianto started but Gwen cut him off.
“We’ll look,” She said quickly as Tosh and her ran into the lower parts of the Hub.
“Do we know what they want?” Ianto asked looking down at his son with a sympathetic look. The only reason he was brought into this world was to destroy and reveal secrets. He didn’t want his son to have that life and die for some stupid plot to take over the world.
“I have an idea,” Jack said as Owen reached for something on his desk. “What are you doing?”
“Brain wave patterns,” Owen said slowly holding up the small box like device. “The baby is obviously to young to kill us all.” Ianto glared at Owen “Sorry, but there might be another reason. Let me just see if there is anything special going on here.”
Ianto looked at Jack frantically unsure if he wanted to find out exactly how his son was part of this long plot to take over Earth. It was his baby, barely one hour old and he was already a threat, and motherless. He didn’t want to completely damn his son on the day of his birth, if he would even last through the day.
“Jack,” Ianto said quietly.
“It’s the right thing Yan,” Jack said taking Riley from his father before handing him over to Owen. Slowly he ran the device up and down, backward and forward over the babies small head. “We’ll get him to normal, it’s okay.”
“If there is a normal,” He sighed shoving his hands in his jean pockets. “He’s part alien, lost his mother in one day and was brought into the world to destroy. How can he go back to normal.”
“The Sleeper DNA should be gone soon,” Jack smiled trying to be helpful but Ianto was unconvinced, he just shrugged slowly.
“His brain waves are off the chart!” Owen exclaimed looking up from the device before glancing down at the small child in his arm. “He’s retaining everything from the Hub. And I mean everything! Codes, computer regulations, anything that would reveal how to get in. As well as our weaknesses.”
“I knew it,” Jack said quietly as Ianto took his baby back in his arms, shielding him. “That’s not going to help. We’ve only got a few minutes before the process is over. When his brain is filled with the information needed he’ll--”
“Die?” Ianto said with a small voice as he took a seat on the couch. “We can’t Jack, we’ve got to save him.”
“I don’t know how to stop this Ianto!” Jack said desperately running a hand down his tired face “It’s kill or be killed.”
“You are not killing my child” Ianto said angrily.
“It’s not even yours!” Jack retaliated, Ianto looked like he had been slapped. He glared up at Jack looking like he could kill him. “Look--the baby was brought here for a reason. If we can’t stop it.”
“But you have to!” Ianto said quietly.
“You don’t even want the baby Ianto,” Owen added slowly.
“I haven’t decided that yet,” He said mostly to himself as he looked down at his son. He didn’t seem to have a care in the world, he didn’t know he was part of some ruse or that he had only a matter of minutes before he died.
“We found it,” Tosh said running up from the depths of the Hub with a small black box in her hand. “I tried to recalibrate it on the way up. Do we know what Riley’s purpose is?”
“To reveal the threat,” Jack said simply as Tosh took a seat next to Ianto.
“Can you fix him? Make him better--human?” Ianto asked looking worriedly from his baby to Tosh who nodded slowly, biting her lip.
“Just hold him still, as still as you can,” She said quietly.
Ianto held out his son in front of Tosh as she pointed the box directly at him. It whirred and beeped but seemed to be having no effect on Riley. Ianto looked frantically at the screen as Tosh tried to change something about the calibration again. Riley’s brain was complex and almost machine like, but there was a human element to it and that’s what Tosh had to bring forward. Slowly a small trickle of blood leaked out of Riley’s noise.
“Jack!” Ianto said frantically. Jack quickly turned around and picked up Riley as well as the box in Tosh’s hands. “What are you--”
“Shut up!” Jack said quickly holding down a green button on the device. The room went silent it seemed like no one was breathing waiting to see if this would be what Riley needed. The baby coughed and spluttered as Jack released the button with a sigh of relief. “All it needed was a little push.” Jack smiled up from the baby as everyone took a collective breath. “He should be fine now. The part of his brain that was them is gone, he’ll have no memory of this. He’ll be able to live a normal life.”
Ianto walked slowly up to Jack and took baby Riley from his arms. He smiled down at his son who was sleeping quietly. Jack slipped his arm around Ianto’s shoulders holding him close. Grabbing the bottom of his shirt, Ianto wiped the small streak of blood that came from his son’s nose. Turning his face into Jack’s shirt he let out a little sob. They didn’t have to hurt the baby at all, and he would be a able to live a normal life. But Ianto didn’t feel happy at all, for the first time he frowned at his son, now he didn’t know what he was going to do with him. Jack sensed something was wrong and turned toward Tosh and Gwen who were standing idly by Owen.
“Tosh, Gwen take Riley and get him some clothing and some food,” Jack smiled as the girls nodded slowly. Tosh came up toward Ianto and he handed Riley over willingly to his co-worker. She smiled at him as he nodded slowly.
“Jack what are we going to do?” Gwen asked slowly as she stood before the door.
“Just do what I say,” Jack said quickly and she followed Tosh out of the Hub. Jack slowly removed his arm from around Ianto’s shoulders and turned toward Owen. “Take care of Natalie. I need to talk with Ianto. Ianto--” He turned around quickly and realized that Ianto was no longer standing next to him. Looking back at Owen he pointed toward the Hub door.
“I think he went up,” Owen said quietly. “Give him some time. It’s been a rough twenty-four hours for him.”
“It has,” Jack sighed thrusting his hands in his pockets. “What do you think we should do about the baby?”
“I can’t exactly see us raising a child within the Hub,” Owen said slowly. “But it’s up to Ianto, it is his child. No matter what you said to him about it not being his.”
“I didn’t mean that,” Jack shrugged “I was just angry, frustrated.”
“Tell him that,” He said nodding upwards “He needs you more than ever Jack.”
“That’s what scares me,” Jack said quietly to himself as he went to follow Ianto outside.
