NO GREATER GIFT

Fallout

In the end, Ianto’s hopes that Jack might acquire an extra couple of hours sleep proved to be futile. Eleya, however, had no such qualms and happily curled back up in bed and quickly dozed off. It was no surprise to Ianto that Jack settled himself into a chair beside her bed to watch her sleep. He stood in the doorway of the spare room for nearly ten minutes, unnoticed by his lover, before venturing in.

“We’ll need to redecorate,” Ianto mused quietly.

Jack looked up at him, confused. “What?”

“This room,” Ianto elaborated. “It’s hardly what you’d consider appropriate for a little girl’s bedroom. We’ll need to go shopping, so that she’ll have a suitable bed… chest of drawers… Oh, and I suppose we’ll need to invest in a toy box, because you know that the women are going to spoil her silly.”

“You’d really accept her?” Jack asked softly. He sounded confused, and looked so lost right then that Ianto’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. He also couldn’t help but notice Eleya’s tiny hand, resting in Jack’s larger one — each one clinging to the other, and neither one apparently willing to let the other go.

It was equally touching and heartbreaking.

“Of course I accept her, Jack,” he answered finally. “Granted, there are still a lot of answers that we need, but she’s still a part of you... and I think we both knew that, even before Owen confirmed it. She’s a part of you, and I will never reject that.”

Jack didn’t respond to that, instead returning his attention to the sleeping child. He looked so sad that it damn ear broke Ianto’s heart.

“Cariad, what’s wrong?”

“I’m scared,” Jack admitted in a whisper.

“Of what?”

“Of what I’ll learn when I use the trigger,” Jack admitted. “Of whoever it is that’s after Eleya. Of losing her all over again... sooner or later.”

Ianto sat down carefully on the edge of the bed and drew Jack in to lean against him.

“One step at a time, Jack. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, all right? Now, I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’re going to go and get another couple of hours sleep. Then, tomorrow morning you’ll call the Doctor and ask him to come. Because I think that for what you need to do, you’d be better off doing it in the TARDIS.”

Jack raised an eyebrow quizzically, and Ianto returned the look with a sad smile.

“I don’t like it, but you’re going to be vulnerable, and I want you to be safe. In this instance, the safest place for you will be inside the TARDIS... if the Doctor is willing to help.”

Jack shifted and rested his head against Ianto’s shoulder, while still keeping a hold on Eleya’s hand.

“I keep telling myself everything will be fine but I can’t quite make myself believe it.”

“Come back to bed,” Ianto murmured, kissing Jack tenderly on the top of his head. “We’ll deal with it when we get back to the Hub.”

He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or worried that Jack went without protest.


A couple of hours later, Ianto emerged from the shower feeling marginally more refreshed after having managed to get an extra hour or so of sleep. He wasn’t sure how much sleep Jack had gotten — he suspected not much at all, and he had not been the least bit surprised to wake up in bed alone. Jack, he’d discovered, was back in sitting with Eleya, who was thankfully still sound asleep. Deciding to leave Jack for the moment, he’d taken the opportunity to shower, and he was grateful that he had.

He started preparing breakfast, toasting bread and frying bacon and eggs. As eager as he knew Jack was likely to be to get back to the Hub, Ianto was determined that they would start what promised to be a long and difficult day in the right way. He was so focused on the task at hand that he didn’t realise he was no longer alone until he turned and spotted Eleya creeping towards him with all the stealth of a trained spy. As soon as he sighted her, she shrieked in delight and launched herself forward, into his arms.

Warmed by her enthusiastic greeting, Ianto lifted the little girl and hugged her to him.

“Good morning to you, too. And where’s your daddy, hmm?”

“Here,” Jack said with a wry smile as he emerged from the bedroom. “I dozed off for a few seconds, and she gave me the slip.”

Ianto willingly handed Eleya into Jack’s waiting arms, although he quietly made note of the nervous strain in his lover’s eyes. He probably had a mild panic attack, Ianto mused, waking up to find Eleya gone.

“You didn’t have to make breakfast, Ianto,” Jack remarked. “I’m not hungry.”

“You might not be,” Ianto replied unapologetically. “However, I am, and I have no doubt that Eleya is, too. So, even if you’re not going to eat, you can just be patient while we do.”

Jack grimaced, and Ianto knew he’d been right that Jack wasn’t thinking beyond getting to the Hub and using the trigger.

“Sorry,” he murmured as he sat Eleya on one of the stools at the bench. “You’re right... We should have a proper breakfast.”

Ianto reached across to caress Jack’s cheek tenderly.

“Little details, Jack. It’s a learn-as-you-go process. At least, that’s what my sister said when she had her first baby. You’ve been separated from Eleya for a long time. It’ll take time to get back into the groove of parenting.”

Unease flickered across Jack’s face, setting off the alarm bells in Ianto’s mind. He knew that look only too well. It was the look that Jack got when he was thinking of something that he knew damned well was going to be unpopular with everyone around him. It was the very same look he’d had right before the team had gone to face the Mara fairies one last time... It was the same look he’d had right before he announced his decision to go and face Abaddon alone, taking Gwen with him only as a means of getting out of the city, because he’d still be horribly weak from a previous death.

“Jack, what are you thinking?” Ianto asked quietly as he filled three plates with bacon, eggs and toast.

In all honesty, he didn’t expect to get a reply, so to say that he was surprised when Jack did respond was a fair understatement.

“Should... Should I even be giving myself that chance?” Jack wondered. “What sort of father could I possibly be, Ianto?”

“A great one,” Ianto answered confidently, but Jack looked unconvinced.

“Yeah. So great that she ended up alone, out of her time and scared out of her mind.”

“Don’t start judging yourself on something that you don’t even remember,” Ianto warned him. “Until you do remember, you can’t go jumping to any conclusions. You have no idea what the circumstances were, Jack, and you can’t make a judgement on whether you’re fit to be a parent or not based on that alone.”

Jack ran his fingers through his hair, and it took some effort on Ianto’s part not to burst out laughing at the way it stuck up in all directions. Unaware of his hair plight, Jack reached over and began to cut the bacon and eggs into smaller, more manageable pieces for Eleya whilst she munched on a piece of toast.

“I love kids, Ianto. I really do. And I love Eleya... as much as I can, that is, considering I don’t actually remember her as being mine. But actually looking after and raising one? Look at what we do! Can I really justify putting a little girl into the middle of all of that? And what if someone out there finds out about her? I have a lot of enemies, Ianto. She could be in danger just by association.”

“Jack, stop it,” Ianto told him abruptly, and Jack’s mouth snapped shut at Ianto’s stern tone. The younger man sounded so much like the Doctor in that brief moment that it nearly brought tears to Jack’s eyes. He said nothing, though, watching and waiting for Ianto to speak.

“You are over-thinking this way too much, Jack,” Ianto told him firmly. “You need to stop, and just take it one step at a time. We’ll answer each of those questions in time, together. And in the meantime, as far as you being a natural at parenting or not... Just look at what you’re doing, Jack.”

Jack paused briefly in his actions, looking down in confusion.

“What...?”

“You’re cutting up her food, cariad. You’re doing it without thinking about it, like it’s the most natural thing in the world for you to do. And she’s letting you.”

Still, Jack was confused.

“So...?”

Ianto sighed in fond exasperation.

“Not every child would allow someone to do that for them. God knows I’ve seen my nephews throw tantrums when their mother has tried to cut their food up for them. But you’re doing that for Eleya, and she’s happy to let you. Like it’s something you’ve done for her plenty of times in the past. Think about it, Jack. There’s routine in what you’re doing. She’s yours, and I think you’re going to discover that you were her primary care-giver. Whatever the circumstances were that led to you being separated from her, I don’t believe it was your fault, and I’m completely confident that you’ll find that out for yourself when you use that trigger.”

Jack stared at Ianto wonderingly.

“I don’t remember the last time someone had such complete faith in me. I’m still trying to work out what I did to deserve that from you.”

“You didn’t give up on me,” Ianto said simply, with a shrug. “Even when you had every justification for washing your hands of me, you didn’t. So if you’re confused over why I have such faith in you, perhaps you should be reminding yourself that it’s because you had faith in me first. Quid pro quo, Jack.”

Jack nodded.

“Thankyou. And... I love you, Ianto. Don’t ever doubt that, okay?”

Ianto smiled as he came around with his plate, and first kissed Eleya on the top of her head before kissing Jack’s cheek.

“I don’t doubt it. Now, how about we all sit at the table, like a family?”

Jack’s heart clenched at the word ‘family’, but he didn’t object, carrying his and Eleya’s plates over to the table so that they could all sit down together. It seemed so normal, that it was almost painful. Normal was something that Jack had abandoned hopes of a long time ago, even before he’d been made immortal by a teenager girl with all the power of the universe running through her veins. This was just a bittersweet reminder that it would never last, no matter how desperately he wanted it to. One day, one painful day, Ianto would be gone. So would Eleya, and he would be alone once more.

“Jack, what are you thinking?” Ianto asked softly, acutely aware of the tears that were filling his lover’s eyes. Jack looked up at him, and the tears overflowed, rolling down his cheeks unchecked.

“That I don’t want to be alone,” he admitted.

His heart breaking, Ianto pulled his chair around and pulled Jack into a fiercely protective embrace. There was nothing he could say to make it any better, and he knew it. Ultimately, all he could do was to try and offer physical comfort, even if it was by way of a simple hug. He felt Jack shaking against him, and wondered worriedly just what was likely to happen once Jack finally regained the memories that he’d been missing for so long.

The sound of a chair pushing out from the table reached his ears, and a moment later Eleya squirmed in between them, and wrapped her arms awkwardly around Jack’s waist.

“Donno crunn, Dada. Mai e Tad dore koo.”

“What did she say?” Ianto asked when Jack’s sobs dissolved into a slightly hysterical giggle.

“She told me not to cry,” Jack answered breathlessly. “She said, ‘Tad and I are here’.”

Ianto rolled his eyes.

“Wonderful. Now she’s calling me Tad. You have a lot to answer for, Jack Harkness.”

It was meant as a joke, and Jack tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it.

“I know,” he whispered instead, his amusement evaporating. “I know I do.”

Ianto could have kicked himself.

“I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t mean it like that. It was an idiotic thing to say. And I meant what I said before, that I’m honoured that you’d like her to call me Tad. I just don’t want her to be confused about it. I mean, two fathers...?”

“It’s perfectly normal where I come from,” Jack pointed out. “And it’s not unheard of here and now, either.”

Ianto regarded Jack thoughtfully.

“Not with same sex partners, no.” He paused before speaking again. “Is that what we are, Jack? Officially? Or is it something else off the record?”

Jack tightened his grip on Ianto.

“I never wanted to hide us from anyone else. Not from the rest of the team, or the rest of Cardiff. I just figured you didn’t want it publicised.”

“There’s a difference between not publicising ourselves to the world, and not being ashamed to let anyone know,” Ianto corrected him gently. “I’m not ashamed, Jack. I promise you that.”

Jack’s breath caught in his throat as he realised where the conversation was headed. For a brief moment, he nearly baulked, but then a strange sense of calm settled over him.

“Would you be my partner, Ianto?”

Ianto looked astonished.

“Officially? As in, rings and saying vows in front of a registrar?”

Jack tightened his hold on Ianto.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you.”

Ianto sighed, then, and stroked Jack’s hair lovingly.

“Cariad, I don’t need a piece of paper to convince me that you love me. And as lovely as it would be to have rings to tell the world we’re committed to each other, it’s just not necessary. But if you mean partners in terms of a personal commitment to each other, then yes. That’s what I want.”

Jack looked up at him slowly.

“I can’t promise I’d be able to stop flirting...”

“And I wouldn’t expect you to. It’s part of who you are, Jack, and I wouldn’t want to change that.”

“But I can promise that you’re the only one I’ll come home to... and the only one I’ll sleep with.”

Astonishment filled Ianto’s face, and then he laughed softly.

“What is it?” Jack wondered, puzzled. Ianto chuckled fondly.

“I told Toshiko that I’d accepted you’ll never love me monogamously, and yet here you are saying that you’ll commit to me, and me alone. I was just thinking, I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to be proven wrong in my life.”

A smile lit up Jack's face — not the big grin that he flashed to all and sundry, but that gentle, loving smile that he seemed to reserve primarily for Ianto. Smiling in return, Ianto drew Jack in close for a warm embrace.

“Let's just enjoy having breakfast together for now, Jack. We'll deal with everything later, when we get to the Hub. For now, let’s just be a family.”

Jack's breath hitched in his throat at the word family, and he nodded in acquiescence.

“Okay.”


Largely thanks to Ianto's machinations, they were the last ones to arrive at the Hub. Studiously ignoring each of his team members, Jack headed straight for his office with Eleya securely in his arms and deliberately closed the door behind them. The moment they were out of sight, all eyes turned to Ianto.

“Well?” Gwen asked in a low hiss. Ianto lifted a single eyebrow quizzically.

“Well what?”

“What's happening with Eleya?”

Ianto glanced briefly to Owen, who gave a slight shake of his head. No, he'd not said anything.

“Jack is just making a phone call,” he replied quietly. “After that, I believe he intend to call us all for a team meeting, where he'll explain what he can.”

“A phone call?” Alex echoed, puzzled. “Who is he calling?”

“The Doctor,” Bobby said before Ianto had a chance to respond. “He's calling the Doctor, isn't he? I mean... It makes sense that he would.”

Again, Ianto found himself musing that they really needed to test Bobby for psi levels.

“Yes,” he admitted. “He is. You'll find out more shortly, but we need his assistance.”

“We're going to have him take her home, then?” Gwen asked.

“I'll let Jack explain,” Ianto said, deciding it was time to walk away from the conversation before he said something that he knew he'd regret, especially to Gwen. He didn't understand the reasons behind the undercurrent of jealousy in her voice. Why the hell would she be jealous of a toddler, anyway?

He hadn't been lying when he told Alex that Gwen was a huge asset to Torchwood, and he did love her just as Jack did. That, however, didn't keep him from feeling intensely frustrated when she got herself stuck on the 'I'm right and you're wrong' track. He was almost looking forward to seeing the look on her face when they learnt the whole truth.


In his office, Jack found himself staring at the phone, unable to bring himself to pick it and actually make the damned call. He wanted to see the Doctor again, but a not so small part of his was afraid. As much as a small voice whispered in his mind that his fears were unfounded, he couldn't keep from worrying that the Doctor might try to take Eleya from him.

The little girl squirmed in his lap and twisted around to kiss his cheek.

“Love you, Dada.”

Tears stung Jack's eyes, and he hugged her tightly.

“I love you, too, baby.”

Fortifying himself, Jack reached for the phone. He needed the Doctor's help, but whatever happened, he would not allow Eleya to be taken away from him — paradox or not.

The call was answered after several rings, with Jack on the cusp of giving up.

Hello...?”

“Doctor, it's about damned time!” Jack barked out, falling back into a gruff impatience to conceal his discomfort.

Jack? What have you done now?”

Jack knew he should have been indignant at the inference that he couldn't keep out of trouble, considering the accusation was coming from a man who literally couldn't stay away from trouble to save his own life. Right then, though, he just didn't have the energy to feel insulted.

“Doctor, I need your help. Can you come?”

The silence on the other end was palpable, and Jack fancied that he could almost hear the wheels turning in the Time Lord's head.

Is this a 'the planet's about to implode' emergency, Jack?”

The Captain felt a ripple of aggravation.

“Did I say it was an emergency? Why do you haave to assume the worst? I said I needed your help, but is not a planetry disaster. If you don't want to come, then just say so...”

Whoa, slow down there, Captain. I didn't say that, did I? If you need me, I'll come. Of course, I'll come. Just... calm down.

At that moment, Eleya chose to rouse herself and clamber up. Her foot slipped at an inopportune moment, and dug into his crotch. Jack grunted loudly in pain, his eyes watering as he struggled to contain his reaction.

Jack?” the Doctor asked, suddenly alarmed. “Jack, what's wrong? Are you hurt?”

Before Jack had a chance to respond, Eleya sung out in a quasi-sympathetic tone.

“Dada ouch. Joon-ba!”

The silence on the other end was sudden and profound. When the Doctor finally spoke, his tone was laced with unspoken threat.

Captain, who was that?”

Jack grimaced, and shifted Eleya on his lap.

“I'll explain when you get here. Will you come?”

I'll be there,” the Doctor promised, though his promise sounded more ominous than benevolent. “I'll be there in exactly one hour, Jack, and you had better have a damned good explanation ready. And be warned, Captain. I do not want to hear the words children and Torchwood in the same sentence.

Jack sighed as the connection was abruptly cut.

“That's going to be a fun conversation.”

“Bad man?” Eleya asked softly. He smiled down at her reassuringly.

“No, baby. He's not bad. He's a very good man. He just scares Dada sometimes.”

“Donno ari,” Eleya murmured, hugging his fiercely. “Ma Dada.”

Jack smiled sadly, fresh tears stinging his eyes.

“Yes,” he murmured. “That's exactly right, baby. I'm your dada.”

The door opened a fraction, and Ianto looked in. He took in the sight of the two of them, and concern flickered across his face.

“Are you all right, Jack?”

Jack looked up at him over Eleya's head.

“He's coming,” he answered simply. Ianto ventured further in, acutely aware of the distress in his lover's eyes.

“Cariad, what is it?”

“I love her, Ianto,” Jack confessed. “I really do... but I don't feel like I love her as much as I'm supposed to, like a father should love his daughter. I don't feel that depth of emotion for her.”

“Because you don't remember her,” Ianto concluded quietly.

“Because I don't remember her,” Jack agreed heavily.

“When is the Doctor meant to arrive?” Ianto asked.

“In an hour. He knows Eleya is here. He heard her over the phone.”

“And...?”

“And he's angry.”

Ianto seated himself carefully on the edge of the desk. Eleya, aware of his presence, reached out with one hand to him, which Ianto took without hesitation.

“You didn't have a chance to explain anything to him, did you?”

“Well, no...”

“Then don't worry. I don't believe he'd react badly once he knows the truth.”

“Ianto,” Jack protested, “I don't even know the entire truth. yet.”

“And that is why the Doctor is coming, cariad,” Ianto reminded him. “So that you have a chance to discover the truth in the safest possible environment. He promised he'd be there for you, Jack. All we're doing is holding him to that. Now, stop worrying, and let's bring Eleya to the boardroom. It's time we introduced her formally to the team, as your daughter.”

Not waiting for Jack to respond, Ianto lifted Eleya out of his arms. She settled on his hip without protest, but held a hand out to Jack in much the same way that she'd done to Ianto only minutes ago. Smiling wearily, Jack lifted himself up and followed them from his office.


Bobby, Alex, Gwen, Tosh and Owen were all gathered in the boardroom when they walked in. Confronted suddenly by so many extra people, Eleya promptly buried her face in Ianto’s shoulder. He murmured soothingly to her in Welsh before handing her back to Jack.

“Before I say anything else,” Jack said, “you should all know that I’ve called the Doctor, and he’ll be here in an hour.”

“He’s going to take her home, then?” Gwen asked, with ill-concealed relief in her voice and face.

Jack shook his head.

“No, he’s not. Eleya is home.”

Startled looks were shared around the room.

“Then Eleya…” Alex started to say.

“She is my daughter,” Jack said. “The test results confirmed it.”

“Well, then,” Gwen said. “I suppose the next step will be to find her mother.”

Owen, who had just been in the middle of taking a mouthful of coffee, choked and nearly sprayed it across the table.

“I’m getting the feeling that this situation is a little more complex than that, Gwen,” Bobby said, his gaze fixed on Jack.

“Yes, thankyou, I’m aware of that, Bobby,” Gwen snapped back impatiently. “She fell through the rift, and her mother could be anywhere.”
“She doesn't have a mother, Gwen,” Jack interrupted quietly. Startled looks met Jack's statement.

“You mean she's dead?” Tosh asked tentatively. Jack was starting to look a little on the pale side.

“No, I don't mean that she's dead. I mean that she doesn't have a mother. No woman gave birth to her.”

“She must have...” Gwen started to argue, only to be brought up short, her eyes going wide as realisation dawned. “Oh my god... You can't be serious!”

“What?” Alex asked in confusion. “Serious about what?”

Jack took a few seconds to scan the room. Ianto's expression radiated support, while Owen looks mildly exasperated — although Jack was fairly positive that it was directed primarily at Gwen. For her part, Gwen looked shocked and horrified, while Bobby, Alex and Tosh looked confused. The Captain sighed audibly. Time to come clean.

“Eleya doesn't have a biological mother, because I'm the one who carried her and gave birth to her.”

The silence that met his admission was profound. Then, unexpectedly, Bobby grinned in delight.

“She really is yours, in every way. That's brilliant, Jack. It really is.”

“I wouldn't say it's brilliant,” Gwen started to say, only to be cut off by Owen, who by then was sounding distinctly peeved.

“Bloody hell, Gwen, will you shut up? I don't know what your problem is, but Bobby is right. Jack has his little girl back after who knows how long, and yes. She is his in every way, so just... leave it, all right.”

“All right, Owen,” Jack murmured. He was grateful for the young medic's support, but at the same time, neither did he want to see conflict between his team. He didn't know what Gwen's problem with Eleya was, but it was just going to have to wait.

“The Doctor is coming,” he repeated. He spoke slowly, and with a forced calm. “He'll be here in less than an hour, and I'm hoping he'll be able to help me out.”

“In what way?” Tosh asked in confusion. Jack took a moment to consider his words before continuing on.

“You all know that I used to be part of the Time Agency.”

“In the fifty-first century,” Ianto clarified.

“Right. What not all of you know is that the reason I left the Agency was because I woke up one morning to discover they'd wiped two years of my life from my memory.”

“You'd been ret-conned?” Gwen asked in shock.

“Basically,” Jack conceded. “The Time Agency's method was a little more complex than slipping a pill into someone's drink, but the basics are the same. I spent the next hundred plus years not knowing what I'd done that ws so bad that they'd wipe my mind. Now, I'm wondering whether I did anything wrong at all. And now I know at least partly what they took from me when they took my memories.”

“The memory of your own child,” Bobby said sombrely.

“Yes. But my problem remains that I still have no memory of her. Getting her back wasn't enough to trigger my memories. I need something more.”

Abruptly, Alex spoke up in astonished realisation.

“The necklace!”

A warm smile lit up Jack's face. He was more and more grateful to Ianto for convincing him that Alex would be as much of a benefit to Torchwood as Bobby.

“Right,” he confirmed. “The necklace is a trigger, one that I think I set up for myself. I must have known, or at least suspected what the Agency was going to do, and I tried to circumvent them. I want to use the necklace to try and get my memories back, but there is a risk that it could send me into psychic shock.”

“Jack, you can't!” Gwen burst out, speaking up for the first time since Owen had growled at her. He silenced her with a stern look.

“I have to, for both mine and Eleya's sakes. That's why I need the Doctor to come. When I use the necklace, I want it to be in a completely safe environment. The only place I know of that's completely safe is the TARDIS.”

“This is insane,” Gwen argued. “Jack, you can't put yourself at risk like that! It's crazy! We need you to be here, now! Not swanning off to try and recover some hundred plus year old memories!”

“Exactly what is your problem, Gwen?” Owen snapped, rounding on her angrily. “You've been out of sorts ever since that little girl started calling Jack daddy. Is that it? You're jealous? Bloody hell, Cooper! She's just a baby!”

Gwen flushed with anger, but said nothing. She was acutely aware of her team mates watching her, and glared right back at them defiantly, daring them to speak. None of them did, except for Bobby, who started to speak but was cut off abruptly by Alex's elbow in his side.

Jack looked at them both quizzically, but didn't push for an explanation, and neither did they offer one.

“This is my life,” he said quietly. “They're my memories, and after more than a hundred years of not knowing, I think I'm entitled to take a chance for my own benefit.”

“Jack,” Ianto said in a quiet, but no less forceful tone, “after more than one hundred years, that's the very least that you're owed. None of us have the right to call you on showing a bit of self-concern.”

“Personally,” Owen spoke up, “I'd feel a lot happier having you here in the Hub, so I can monitor you, but I understand. I'm just glad that you're at least taking your own safety and well-being into consideration for once.”

“Thankyou,” Jack murmured sincerely.

“Do you have any idea how long it might take?” Bobby asked. “This process... However it works. Hours? Days?”

Jack grimaced. He hoped it wouldn't put him out of commission for more than a few hours at the most, but he also knew the reality. This was two years' worth of memories, and it simply wasn't going to come back quickly and easily.

“I'd say expect to be without me for anywhere up to forty-eight hours... maybe longer.”

A murmur swept across the team, but Jack was relieved to find the only one looking disgruntled was Gwen. His gaze went to Bobby and Alex, and he felt a sharp twinge of guilt.

“I'm sorry, this isn't what I'd planned for your first couple of weeks.”

“Don't apologize, Jack,” Alex told him. “Seriously, these are your memories we're talking about. Your life. I don't care how long you've lived. Two years is too much to just brush off as irretrievable.”

Bobby nodded his agreement.

“You deserve to have this chance to get your memories back, and you're right in wanting to be in the safest possible environment. I don’t fault you for choosing the TARDIS.”

The gratitude on Jack's face was palpable, and when he spoke again, he deliberately avoided looking at Gwen.

“Thankyou. I appreciate the support.”

“All right,” Gwen spoke up again, sounding unhappy, but nonetheless reigned to what was going to happen. “We need to work out how this place will be run while you're... indisposed. I assume you'll keep Eleya with you?”

“Yes,” Jack confirmed. “And Ianto, too.”

While Tosh and Owen in particular looked none too surprised at that revelation, Gwen uttered a cry of protest.

“Jack, we need him here!”

“You survived with just the three of you for three months while we established the New York base,” Ianto reminded her. “Now, you have Bobby and Alex. They're competent and quick learners, and the Doctor will be here if anything major crops up.”

“Assuming the Doctor is willing to help,” Gwen added.

“He will be,” Ianto said flatly. “I don't intend on giving him a choice.”

Jack raised an eyebrow in Ianto's direction, but said nothing. He never had a chance, for suddenly the distinct grinding sound of the TARDIS' engines reverberated through the Hub.”

“Isn’t he…?” Ianto started to say.

“Early,” Jack concluded for him, frowning in agitation. “Typical. Never on time when I need him, except when he thinks I’ve done something wrong. And then he turns up early.” Sighing, Jack rose to his feet and passed Eleya over to Ianto’s waiting arms. “Everyone, stay here. Let me go and speak to him first.”

“Dada…” Eleya called after him, sounding confused and a little bit worried. Jack smiled at her as reassuringly as he could. “Stay with Anno, baby. I won’t be long.”

He turned and hurried out, leaving Ianto to mind the little girl. She sat on Ianto’s knee for a few excruciatingly long seconds, looking as though she wanted to cry. Finally, though, she shifted around and snuggled in against Ianto, humming in contentment.

“Looks like she’s taken to you, too,” Alex remarked with a smile. Ianto returned her smile as he wrapped his arms comfortably around Eleya.

“She’s a beautiful little girl. I just hope she hasn’t inherited any of Jack’s less attractive qualities.”

Eleya giggled softly, gripping his shirt in her little hands.

“Tad…”

Ianto rolled his eyes, while Gwen started in surprise.

“She didn’t just call you Tad, did she?”

“Yes,” Ianto confirmed, “and you can blame Jack for that. He thought it was cute. Although… I have to confess, I’m flattered.”

“Tad is Welsh for Dad?” Bobby queried.

“Yes, it is,” Gwen confirmed. “Ianto, is it really wise to let her call you that?”

Ianto looked up at her piercingly.

“Would you care to share exactly what your problem is, Gwen? Your attitude is starting to aggravate everyone, and Jack especially.”

She stared back at him, but she proved to be no match for him and eventually had to drop her gaze.

“Later, then,” Ianto murmured, and although he’d spoken softly, his tone warned her that they would be discussing the situation later, whether she liked it or not.

“Do you think Jack is all right out there?” Owen asked of no one in particular. In answer, Tosh got up and ventured over to the door. Beyond the glass, she could see Jack down in the central part of the Hub with the Doctor. It seemed that the Doctor was doing most of the talking, whilst Jack stood stoically, with his shoulders squared and jaw clenched. By all appearances, the Doctor seemed angry, and he appeared to be yelling at the Captain.

“I don’t think it’s going very well,” Tosh murmured worriedly. She hesitated, and then risked opening the door a fraction, allowing the Doctor’s voice to reach them.

“…should have known better than to trust you, Captain! I thought you’d changed for the better, but obviously I was wrong! What in the name of Rassilon were you thinking, allowing a child into this forsaken place? Damn it, Jack, I thought better of you! How could you?”

Jack drew in a shaky breath. He’d known the Doctor was angry, but this was the full force of the Oncoming Storm being directed straight at him, and it a frightening experience, even for him.

“Doctor…”

“No!” the Doctor snapped, cutting Jack off harshly. “No, you don’t get to speak, Captain. Not this time. There is nothing, not a thing that you could possibly say to rectify this. It’s times like this that make me think I did the right thing abandoning you on Satellite Five! This is wrong… You’re wrong!”

Jack flinched, as though the Doctor had physically struck him, and he found himself having to fight hard to suppress tears. Of all the things the Doctor could have said to him, that was quite possibly the thing that hurt the most. He swallowed hard against the painful lump that had suddenly developed in his throat, only to find that he couldn’t.

“No second chances, Captain,” the Doctor said in a menacing whisper, “and I’ve given you several. No more. This is the last straw.”

Before Jack had a chance to learn just what the Doctor was planning to do, a wordless wail reached their ears. Both men looked around in surprise to see Eleya toddling her way down the stairs from the boardroom as fast as her little legs would allow her. Ianto was close behind, but she’d reached the bottom before he could grab her. As they watched, she ran around the pathway towards Jack and the Doctor. She ran past Jack, up to the Doctor, and slammed her little hands into his abdomen as hard as she could. With the added kick of her psychic talent, the Doctor grunted in pained surprise as he reeled backwards, and slammed hard into the closed door of the TARDIS behind him.

The Time Lord staggered against TARDIS, staring at the enraged child in wide-eyed astonishment. Jack, meanwhile, swooped in and picked her up before she could launch a renewed assault.

“Bad!” Eleya wailed, wrapping her arms around Jack’s neck in a strangling grip. “Urra ma Dada!”

“No, I’m okay, baby,” Jack murmured, cradling her to him. “I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me, I promise.”

Slowly, the Doctor regained his equilibrium, and straightened up again. “Jack?”

It was said in the same tone that the Doctor had used not so long ago to garner a response from the Captain over whether or not he had a death wish. Jack looked back at the Doctor grimly.

“As I was trying to say before you went all Oncoming Storm on me, there is a very good explanation as to why there’s a child in the Hub. I’d like you to meet Eleya Harkness. She’s my daughter.”

Slowly, the Doctor walked forward, his gaze fixed intently on the child in Jack’s arms. She watched him approach with a mixture of fear and suspicion, and the closer he got, the tighter her grip around Jack’s neck became.

“Baby, ease up,” Jack said finally, hoarsely. “You’re kinda choking Dada.”

Eleya whimpered, but loosened her grip just a little.

“How can she be your daughter?” the Doctor asked with a frown, only to carry on without missing a beat. “Well, of course I know how she could be yours. And I suppose with the amount of dancing you’ve done around the universe, it’s entirely likely that a child was bound to pop up somewhere along your timeline. In fact, I’m a little surprised that it’s only the one…”

“Hey!” Jack growled, unappreciative of the insinuation. The Doctor was completely unapologetic.

“It’s your own fault that you’ve got the reputation that you do, Jack. But first thing’s first. You’re positive she’s yours?”

Jack looked back over his shoulder at his team and, in particular, at Owen. “Yes,” he answered finally. “We’re positive.”

The Doctor sighed a little. “All right. You’d best tell me everything, from the beginning.”

“Fine,” Jack conceded. “As long as you promise to actually listen to me?”

The indignant look on the Doctor’s face would have made Jack laugh, had the situation been any different. Instead, he walked over to the conglomeration of sofas and armchairs in the rec area, and settled himself down with Eleya comfortably ensconced on his lap. Ianto pointedly sat beside him, and the rest of them took up the remaining seats. Jack went on to tell the story as it stood so far, from the rift alert of the previous morning, to finding Eleya, and eventually to learning that she was, indeed, Jack’s daughter.

When Jack reached the piece of news about exactly who had carried Eleya and given birth to her, though, the Doctor showed no astonishment.

“The two years the Time Agency stole from you,” he guessed immediately. His gaze was both thoughtful and sorrowful.

Jack nodded. “That’s what I think, too. I know Eleya is mine, Doctor. I can accept that. But I don’t remember her, and I want to. Doctor, I want to remember my little girl.”

The Doctor looked up slowly to Jack, from where his eyes had been fixed on Eleya. She had returned his gaze easily, no longer fearful but curious.

“You have an idea.”

It was no question, and Jack didn’t attempt to mince words. “Yes. The day before Eleya came through the rift, there was a box that we found down in the sewers. It had a psychic lock, and we couldn’t get it open. Eleya opened it.”

“The box belonged to her?” the Doctor wondered.

“It must have. All it had in it, though, was a necklace. When I tried to hold it, I was bombarded with images and memories… It ended up knocking me out cold.”

The Doctor’s eyes lit up as he quickly caught on to what Jack was implying. “A psychic trigger! Jack, you’re brilliant!”

“And this is where we need your help,” Jack went on. “I want to use the necklace to try and recover my memories, but I need to be somewhere safe, because I don’t know what’s going to happen. I… I want to be in the TARDIS.”

The Doctor stared at him in surprise before a soft smile settled across his features.

“Quite right, too. Yes, you shall stay in the TARDIS, and we’ll finally get those memories of yours back for you.”

“We have a proviso,” Ianto stated quietly. He reached out surreptitiously and closed his hand over Jack’s as he spoke, squeezing gently. “We would appreciate it if you would stay here for the duration, and not disappear into the vortex.”

“We could use your help, see, while Jack’s… indisposed,” Tosh added quickly. The Doctor looked around at each of them slowly before returning his gaze to Jack.

“Very well. Jack shall remain in the TARDIS, where she and I can monitor him, and the TARDIS shall remain here in your Hub. Fair enough?”

His question was met with a bevy nodding heads. The Doctor then turned his attention back to Jack.

“Shall we get started, then?”

Back                         Home                              Torchwood Main Page                              Next

Your Name or Alias:      Your E-mail (optional):

Please type your review below. Only positive reviews and constructive criticism will be posted!