NO GREATER GIFT
Revelations A/N: I'm posting this extra chapter because I got impatient. On arrival at Ianto’s apartment, Ianto quickly got Eleya settled in the lounge room with her colouring books and a randomly chosen DVD — Disney’s Finding Nemo, if he wasn’t mistaken — and then set himself to taking care of Jack. While Eleya sat on the floor, colouring in and watching the movie, Ianto guided Jack to lie down on the couch with his head resting in Ianto’s lap and his feet up on the arm of the couch. Ianto then began to gently massage Jack’s scalp with sure and knowing fingers, eliciting a soft groan of appreciation from the Captain. “You are so good at this,” Jack mumbled, his eyes fluttering closed as he gradually began to relax. The massage, combined with the drugs Owen had insisted he take, were beginning to have an effect, and the pain was finally beginning to abate. “I learned from the best,” Ianto said with an affectionate smile. “Just relax. Let me take care of you.” Jack willingly surrendered himself to Ianto’s ministrations. That submission, on its own, was enough to take Ianto’s breath away. He knew that he was the only one who garnered that level of trust from the Captain. Not Gwen, Tosh, Owen... The only other being in existence in whom Jack might have shown a similar level of trust was the Doctor, and even then Ianto wasn’t so sure. It staggered him to think that Jack believed in him so completely, after everything they’d been through... after all the times and all the ways he had betrayed his beloved Captain... “You’re thinking too hard,” Jack murmured, not even bothering to open his eyes. Ianto started a little, and realised that in his train of thought had caused him to cease the massage. Shaking himself back to reality, he began to move his fingers over Jack’s scalp once more. “You know,” he mused, “the only times you usually end up with headaches like this are after you’ve died from a head wound.” “I know, and believe me, I’m not impressed.” Ianto frowned a little. “You really don’t remember anything at all?” Jack opened one eye to stare up at Ianto. “No. I said I didn’t. You don’t believe me?” There was just a hint of tension in Jack’s tone, and Ianto was anxious to placate him. “Of course I do. I just wonder if it’s the shock, and that the memory might come back given time, or the right catalyst.” “Tell me again what happened,” Jack said. “Tell me exactly what you saw.” Ianto described the incident in as much detail as he could, trying hard not to shudder at the memory of Jack locked in a moment of apparent sheer horror, and the panic and fear that followed soon after. As he spoke, Jack’s face creased in a frown. “Remember...” he muttered. “Memories...” Ianto peered down at him, puzzled and concerned. “Jack?” “I can’t remember any one thing clearly,” Jack answered finally. “But I think... what I saw were memories... Memories that were embedded in the pendant. There were so many that it completely overwhelmed me... It sent me into mild psychic shock.” “Whose memories?” Ianto wondered, slightly annoyed that Owen’s estimate had apparently been right. “Eleya’s?” “Maybe,” Jack conceded. “Maybe a combination of hers and someone else’s... I don’t know. Ianto, what happened to the pendant?” “Tosh took it for analysis. Eleya wasn’t terribly impressed, but Bobby managed to convince her it was for the best.” Jack smiled wryly. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me that Bobby could operate on three year old logic.” “I don’t know if she understood what he said to her,” Ianto said. “I suspect it was more his tone of voice that calmed her.” “Mm. He has that kind of demeanour. It’s one of the things I like about him. He knows what to say, and when to say it... even to a three year old.” A sudden squeal of delight interrupted their quiet conversation, and both men looked to see Eleya laughing at the television. “Tuttur!” she squealed, pointing at the screen. “The surfing turtles,” Ianto said with a chuckle. “My nephews love this part, too.” Jack raised an eyebrow slightly. “Disney?” “Uh huh. Always a winner.” “So... Is this the only Disney movie you have in your collection?” Ianto shifted slightly, and Jack was sure that his face had reddened just a little. “I might have a few of them.” “Such as...?” Oh yeah, he was definitely embarrassed, Jack thought with a barely-hidden grin. Ianto caught his look, and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Stop it. I have some of my nephews’ favourite movies here for when they come to visit. Some of them just happen to be Disney movies. It’s not that big a deal.” “Well, do you watch any of them when they’re not here?” Jack pressed. Ianto mock scowled at him. “How would you like me to shove you off the couch, cariad?” Jack uttered a low chuckle. “Sorry.” Shaking his head, Ianto leaned down and kissed Jack softly on the forehead. “Never mind. And for the record, yes. Sometimes I do watch them, just to help me to relax after a difficult day. You’d be amazed at how relaxing it can be.” “Maybe I’ll give it a try some time,” Jack murmured, and Ianto grinned. “How about right now?” Jack responded with a groan, and brought one hand up to cover his eyes. “Not right now. I don't think my eyes could handle it. Or the rest of my head, for that matter.” The amused smile faded from Ianto's face as he heard the pain and exhaustion in his lover's voice. “Head still hurting, then?” “It's better than it was,” Jack conceded, “but I still feel like I got run over by a steamroller.” A grimace flickered across Ianto's face. “I do not want to know whether that comparison is based on experience.” Jack smiled wryly, but before he had a chance to say anything more, movement beside him alerted them both to the fact that Eleya had abandoned watching the movie and had come over to the couch. “Dada ouch,” she said softly, with all the innocent sympathy of a small child. Jack smiled weakly, quietly hating himself for being so obvious in his pained state. “A little,” he confessed, “but I'll be fine. Don't worry, baby.” Ignoring him, Eleya reached out and touched Jack's forehead with her fingertips, a slight frown on her young face. “Ouch go way.” Jack gasped a little as he felt an odd and slightly discomforting tugging sensation in his head, followed by the briefest flash of near blinding pain, and then... He blinked as his vision cleared of the spots that had been dancing in front of his eyes. The headache was gone. “Jack? Jack, what is it? Are you all right?” He could hear Ianto begging him for an answer, but it took him a moment to get his head together. “It's gone,” he said finally, hoarsely. He hesitated a moment, and then sat up, and was gratified not to feel any ill effects. “The headache is gone!” “What?” Ianto said in confusion and disbelief. “How could it be...” He trailed off, and both men turned their heads at the same moment to look at Eleya, who stood there patiently, watching them with a satisfied smile on her face. “Dada nai ouch,” she said simply, and turned and went back to her colouring books, and the movie. “Oh gods,” Ianto whispered as the gravity of what had just happened began to sink in. “Jack, she healed you!” He looked sideways at his lover when there was no response, and was slightly disconcerted by the increasingly thoughtful expression on Jack's face. “Jack? What is it? What are you thinking?” “Balances,” Jack answered softly, not taking his eyes off Eleya. “She's already proven she has the power to take life. Now, she's shown us that she also has the power to heal. Everything needs balance, or there'd be chaos, even in individual people. Eleya is a living example of that. She is balance.” “If I hadn't just seen it for myself,” Ianto said ruefully, “I'd think you were being melodramatic. But you are right... Jack, what are we letting ourselves in for?” “I don't know,” Jack admitted softly. “What I do know is that we're going to have to be extra careful from here on, because whoever was after this little girl is not going to give up easily. Not with what she seems to be capable of. We need to be ready for some unwelcome visitors, and probably very soon.” A slightly bitter smile spread across Ianto's face. “Never rains, but it pours. What an introduction to Torchwood this is turning out to be for Bobby and Alex.” Jack smiled grimly. “If they get through this unscathed, then they'll be ready for anything by the time they go home to New York.” Ianto's smile faded. “If,” he echoed softly. Jack sighed and pulled Ianto into his arms, pressing a lingering kiss to his temple. “They'll be fine. We all will be.” Ianto just shut his eyes, and kept his doubts to himself. Owen wandered down into the medical bay just after three in the morning, tired and yet unable to sleep. Toshiko had insisted on stay with him, despite his protests that he was fine, and now she lay sprawled out adorably on the couch upstairs, with a throw rug draped over her to keep her from getting a chill. He knew he was an ass, but he couldn't bring himself to thank her for being so willing to keep him company. All he could hope was that she knew how much he appreciated her without him actually saying the words out loud. Stifling a yawn, he pushed those thoughts to the side and wandered over to his computer. The results from the DNA comparison were ready, and he briefly considered just printing them out without looking at them, and leaving them on Jack's desk for him to check when he arrived later on. Curiosity won out, though, and he punched a button on the keyboard to bring the results up on the screen. For nearly a minute, Owen didn't understand what he was looking at, and he very nearly put it down to being overtired. Then, reality slowly sunk in as he realised that he was not misinterpreting the data that was in front of him. “Fuck me,” he whispered, stunned by what he was reading. For a moment, his brain tried to reject the results as flawed, or just plain wrong. But then, beyond the shock, Owen recalled occasional throw-away comments that Jack had made over the last few years. They were comments that all of them had come to ignore, putting them down to Jack's slightly oddball sense of humour. Maybe, though... Just maybe, he hadn't been joking about it at all. Making a snap decision, Owen printed the results off, saved the file and then hurried back upstairs. Tosh had woken up whilst he'd been gone, and looked at him now in confusion. “Owen? What's wrong?” “I'm sorry, Tosh, love, but I can't tell you,” he said grimly. “Listen, do you mind staying here? I have to get over to Ianto's place.” The confusion morphed into incredulity. “Now? Owen, it's... what, three in the morning! Ianto will kill you if you turn up there now!” “I have to,” Owen said grimly as he pulled on his coat. “I have to see Jack. This can't wait.” “Not even just a few hours? You know he'll be back here before seven...” “Can't wait,” Owen insisted. “I have to see Jack, and I have to see him now. Tosh, please. I'm sorry, but I can't explain it to you. Not yet.” She nodded, won over by his anxiety and sincerity. “All right. Go on, I'll keep an eye on things here.” On impulse, Owen leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. “Thankyou.” Tosh smiled sadly as Owen literally bounded out of the Hub. “You're welcome.” Ianto awoke with a start in the dead of night, brought back into awareness by the pitiful sound of sobbing, and a tiny hand patting his arm. His eyes opened blearily, and quickly focused on the tear-streaked face at the edge of the bed. “Anno,” Eleya sobbed, fresh tears spilling from her eyes in large drops. “Dada gone…” Ianto looked around in confusion and momentary panic, only to be relieved at the sight of Jack sound asleep beside him, his face thoroughly buried in the pillow. It was a rare and welcome sight, although Ianto did wonder how Jack managed to avoid suffocating himself. He reached over and gave Jack a shove, barely stifling a laugh as Jack’s head came up, hair in a mess and expression groggy. “Jack, wake up,” Ianto told him. “Eleya’s upset. She thought you were gone.” Jack snapped awake in an instant, and leaned awkwardly over Ianto to lift Eleya up onto the bed between them. Ianto grunted as Jack’s elbow hit a particularly sensitive spot, but refrained from saying anything. He just quietly gave thanks that they were both wearing boxer shorts and tee-shirts. “Hey, baby, what’s the matter?” Jack murmured, wrapping his arms around the sobbing child. She clung to him tightly, burying her face against his chest. “Dada, ayla me k’yunn.” “What’s she saying?” Ianto asked, not fully expecting Jack to answer. He was both surprised and relieved when Jack did reply. “She said she dreamed I was gone.” “Dada kun maya dumo,” Eleya wailed, her voice muffled. “She thought the bad men took me away again,” Jack murmured. He hugged her tightly, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “It’s okay, baby. I’m not going anywhere.” Ianto rubbed her back gently. “I’ll guarantee that.” “C’mon, now,” Jack murmured. “Lie down, that’s the way.” He gently eased her down between them, and pulled the blankets up to cover her trembling body. “Domestic,” Ianto whispered with a fond smile as Jack soothed the little girl. Jack pulled a face, but said nothing to dispute him. He settled down and hummed a soft tune that Ianto didn’t recognise. Eleya curled in against Jack, but just as Ianto was starting to feel as though he should vacate the bed and leave them alone, the little girl abruptly turned and grabbed his hand and tugged him closer. “Anno, cuncun.” “Cuncun?” Ianto echoed, puzzled. Jack chuckled quietly. “She wants you to cuddle with us.” Feeling oddly pleased, Ianto settled back down, wrapping one arm around to embrace both Jack and Eleya together. Jack continued humming softly, and Ianto’s eyes began to grow heavy. He was just on the cusp of drifting off to sleep when the sound of the doorbell ringing dragged him rudely back into awareness. “What the fmmph…” “Language,” Jack warned before removing his hand from Ianto’s mouth. Scowling, Ianto pushed himself up. “I’ll go and see who it is, and if they don’t have a damned good reason for waking us up in the middle of the night, I’ll kill them.” “Technically, we weren’t asleep,” Jack pointed out. “And technically, it’s not the middle of the night,” Ianto snapped. “But I’m still going to kill them.” He stomped out of the room, leaving Jack to chuckle to himself. Listening carefully, he heard the front door open, and Ianto verbally explode. “Owen? What the hell do you think you’re doing, turning up here at this hour?” Jack winced, feeling marginally sorry for the medic. The sympathy lasted, though, for about as long as it took for Jack to start to wonder just what was so wrong to bring Owen to Ianto’s doorstep at three-thirty in the morning. “Dada?” Eleya asked anxiously, and he hugged her to him in response. “It’s okay, baby,” he murmured. “Everything’s fine.” The voices outside had faded to a low murmur, before dropping out of earshot altogether. Then, a moment later, the bedroom door opened and Ianto came back in. “Jack, Owen’s here.” “I gathered,” Jack said ruefully, propping himself up on his elbow. “Any particular reason why you haven’t booted him back out on his scrawny butt?” “I can hear you, Harkness!” Owen bellowed from somewhere beyond the bedroom. Jack snorted, but didn’t react. “He needs to talk to you… to us,” Ianto said quietly. “He said it’s about Eleya, and that it can’t wait.” Jack stared at Ianto wordlessly for nearly a minute before nodding in acquiescence. “All right. We’ll be right out.” Owen was pacing nervously, but came to an abrupt halt when Jack emerged with Eleya in his arms. The Captain fixed Owen with a hard stare as he sat down carefully in one of the armchairs, and cradled Eleya gently to him. “I hope you have a damned good reason for showing up here at this hour, Owen.” The medic looked both apologetic and frustrated. “Jack, do you really think I’d have come if I didn’t think it was important?” “What is it, Owen? Spit it out.” Owen ran his fingers through his short hair. “The results of the DNA comparison came in.” Ianto glanced worriedly at Jack, who had gone visibly tense. “And?” he asked when Jack didn’t. “There’s no doubt about it,” Owen told them soberly. “She is your daughter, Jack.” Silence met the announcement. Ianto watched Jack, who in turned watched Eleya, who was curled up contentedly against his chest and apparently blissfully oblivious to the sudden tension around her. Owen looked back and forth between Jack and Ianto, waiting for one of them to react. “I guess Eleya was right after all,” Ianto said finally, breaking the silence. Jack didn’t move, and he didn’t take his eyes off the child cradled in his arms. “She’s mine,” he whispered, as though he still couldn’t quite believe it. “You’re mine. My baby…” “Dada,” Eleya sighed, half asleep. When Jack finally looked up at Owen, the anger was gone from his face. “Is there any reason why you couldn’t wait a few hours to give us that piece of news, Owen?” “Yes, as a matter of fact, there is. There’s more to it, Jack.” “Well… Are you going to tell us?” Jack pressed when Owen hesitated. The medic hesitated a moment longer, as though trying to decide just how to put a particularly delicate question. In the end, though, he simply blurted it out. “Jack… Just how serious were you when you told us you could get pregnant?” Again, a deathly silence met Owen’s words. “You can’t be serious,” Ianto said finally, hoarsely. “Owen, please say you’re joking?” Owen ignored Ianto, keeping his focus entirely on Jack. The Captain stared back at him, his expression unreadable. When he gave no indication of speaking, Owen elaborated. “The test proved that Eleya is your daughter, beyond any doubt. But that’s where it lost any sense of normality. The matches in DNA weren’t indicative of father to daughter. They were indicative of mother to daughter. She isn’t merely your daughter, Jack. You were the one who carried her.” For a split second, Ianto honestly thought Jack was going to shove Eleya away from him in panic. But then, as the shock subsided, he tightened his grip on the little girl, and buried his face in her silvery black hair. It was only when they saw his shoulders start to shake that both Ianto and Owen realised he was crying. Ianto very nearly tumbled out of the chair in his desperation to get to Jack. “Cariad? What is it?” he asked anxiously. “Jack?” Eleya whimpered faintly as Jack’s hold on her started to hurt. Grimacing, Ianto tried to pry her from his lover’s grip. “Jack, love, let her go. You’re hurting her, Jack.” With some effort, Ianto managed to get Eleya out of Jack’s vice-like grip, and passed her to a somewhat startled Owen before turning back to Jack and quickly embracing him. “Hush, love,” Ianto murmured, and then glanced back over his shoulder. “Owen, do you think you could take Eleya into the kitchen, and get her some warm milk?” “Uh, yeah...” Owen muttered. “Sure. C’mon, kid. How ’bout we go get a nice cup of milk?” Eleya hesitated, looking uncertainly from Jack to Ianto before allowing Owen to take her from the room. “All right,” Ianto murmured, once they’d gone. “Talk to me, Jack. Tell me what you’re thinking.” Shudders went through Jack, and his arms found their way around Ianto, clinging to him just as he’d been clinging to Eleya just moments ago. “I carried her, Ianto,” Jack said shakily, his voice muffled by Ianto’s shoulder. “I carried her...” “That’s what Owen said,” Ianto agreed, feeling slightly puzzled. “But I don’t remember,” Jack persisted. “Ianto, I don’t remember it!” “Jack...” “Don’t you get it?” Jack exploded, pulling back from the younger man and grabbing him so hard by the shoulders that he winced. “If I’d fathered her with a woman, I could accept that I didn’t know about her, but I carried her! In a hundred and seventy years, I would never, never forget that. Never!” “Jack, I don’t understand...” “Two years, Ianto,” Jack said hoarsely. “The Time Agency wiped two years from my memory. I always thought it was because I must have done something terrible, but it wasn’t that at all. And I was so angry at them for taking my memories, but in reality, they stole something much worse from me. They stole my baby from me, Ianto...” He dissolved into a fresh wave of tears, shaking violently in the younger man’s arms. Ianto held him tightly, feeling sick to his stomach as the gravity of the situation slowly began to sink in. “I don't remember her,” Jack sobbed. “I don't remember her at all... I want them back, Ianto. I want my memories back...” Ianto was on the verge of saying he didn't know what to do when a thought struck him. “The pendant!” “Wh... What?” “Jack, the pendant! Eleya's pendant! She said you gave that to her, right?” “Yes. So...?” “When you touched it you were bombarded by memories. What if those memories weren't Eleya's memories? What if they were yours?” Jack froze in Ianto's arms. “A trigger,” he whispered hoarsely. “The pendant is a psychic trigger... If I knew they were coming for me, and I knew what they'd do to me...” “You might have tried to do something that would give yourself a chance at reversing it,” Ianto concluded. Jack cupped Ianto's face and kissed him fiercely. “I love you, Ianto Jones. Don't ever, ever doubt that.” “What do we do, then?” Ianto asked breathlessly. “When we get to the Hub, I'll use the pendant,” Jack said. “Now I know what it is, I know how to use it properly. I'll need everyone to be there, and to be on maximum alert, though. There's every chance I could be out of commission for a while.” Ianto frowned, not especially liking the sound of that. “What do you mean, out of commission?” “Best case scenario,” Jack told him, “it might just throw me for a loop, maybe cause me to faint. We're talking about two years worth of memories here, Ianto.” Ianto felt a chill go through him. “Worst case scenario...?” Jack regarded him sombrely. “The shock could put me in a coma... or maybe even kill me.” With some effort, Ianto swallowed the bile that threatened to rise up in his throat. He was horrified at the thought that Jack might suffer a shock severe enough to kill him, but what truly frightened him was the possibility of his lover being left trapped in a coma, where no one could reach him. Jack would come back from death, but coma? That was an uncertainty that he simply didn't want to have to face. “Jack,” he said softly, hesitantly. “I know you said you didn't want to involve him, and ordinarily I'd be happy with that... but in this instance... Maybe we should call the Doctor.” The Captain looked equally uncertain, much to Ianto's quiet relief. “What if he thinks Eleya being here is creating a paradox? What if he tries to take her away?” Ianto caressed Jack's cheek lovingly. “I'll regenerate him myself before I let that happen, I promise. No one is taking that little girl away from us, cariad.” Jack pulled Ianto back into a ferocious hug. “I love you so much, Ianto.” Ianto returned the embrace with equal enthusiasm. “I love you too, Jack. Now, how about we go into the kitchen and show Eleya that her dada is okay?” Smiling tearfully, Jack got up and, keeping a tight hold on his lover's hand, headed into the kitchen. Jack and Ianto entered the kitchen to find Eleya sitting on a stool at the bench, with Owen helping her to drink from a cup. “I do have children's cups,” Ianto pointed out dryly, pulling open one cupboard door and indicating a couple of toddler-proof sippy cups. Owen never took his eyes from the little girl, ensuring she didn't lose her grip on the cup, or spill anything from it. “Yes, well, I'm not exactly a regular visitor here, am I? How am I supposed to know you cater for children?” “I have two nephews, Owen.” “Point made, noted and duly dismissed.” Eleya pulled back from Owen at that point, and her face lit up at the sight of Jack. Abandoning her drink, she stretched her arms out towards him for a cuddle. “Dada!” Jack didn't hesitate. He swept her off the bench and wrapped her up in a ferocious hug, looking like he was never going to let her go. “Everything okay, then?” Owen asked quietly. He was not the least bit surprised when Ianto responded with a shake of his head. “Not yet, but we'll get there. Will you be going back to the Hub?” “Yeah. I kind of left Tosh there holding the fort. I ought to get back.” Well, we'll be coming back in a few hours. Jack's going to want everyone in for a team conference, but I want to try and convince him to get a couple more hours' sleep, if I can.” A grim smile twisted Owen's lips briefly. “Uh huh. Good luck with that.” He excused himself and left, his departure unnoticed by Jack whose attention was solely on his daughter. “Ma dada,” Eleya said lovingly, placing her little hands on Jack's cheeks and kissing his nose. Jack smiled tearfully. “Yes, baby. I'm your dada.” Ianto smiled at the sight, and consciously swallowed a desire to remark that perhaps it would be more accurate for her to be calling him 'Mama'. That was a joke that Jack didn't need to her right then. Eleya looked around, spotted Ianto and held out a hand to him. He took it with a smile, and found himself drawn into the embrace. “Dada,” she said again. Then, to Ianto, she said, “Unna.” “She just called you 'Uncle',” Jack said amusedly. “I think I prefer 'Anno',” he remarked wryly. Jack grinned suddenly and whispered something into the little girl's ear. A smile broke out over her face, and she giggled happily. “Tad!” Ianto blinked, taken aback. “Tad?” Jack's smile faltered. “I got it right, didn't I? That is the Welsh word for 'dad'?” “Well, yes... But do you really want Eleya calling another man 'Dad'?” “If you're uncomfortable with it...” Jack mumbled, suddenly painfully uncertain. Ianto leaned in and kissed him lightly. “I'm honoured. But perhaps we should wait until Eleya understands what 'Tad' actually means, and let her decide whether she wants to call me that. Until then, I'm perfectly happy being called 'Anno'. All right?” Jack smiled then in relief. “All right.”
Also, the science in this chapter is probably arguable, but I claim poetic license. And now I am hauling my muse back over to "Ashes" and "What never Should Be" by her furry hide.
Jack had to concede to that.
Ianto stared at Jack, confused and a little bit frightened by the wild look in his lover’s eyes.
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