missthingsplace | Celebrations 7/?

Title: Celebrations. Sequel to 'Mother's Day'.
Author: missthingsplace
Parings/characters: Jack/Ianto. Gwen Rhys
Diclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately.
Summary: Set after series 2. Ianto and Jack get to spend more time with Ianto's family, but all is not gonna go as planned!
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG

Ianto couldn't remember a time when he had seen his dad smile so much. He was going round the room greeting everyone from the youngest to the oldest, the smile permanently on his face. He got to Ianto and pulled him into a huge hug, then a surprised Jack.

'Ianto, it's so long since we saw you last, over a year. You promised you'd visit more.' He said to Ianto, still smiling, although he was trying to be stern.

'Sorry da, work, time flies by so fast, as you know I couldn't make it for Mother's Day this year.' Ianto apologised.

'Not to worry son, you're here now.' He turned to Jack. 'And should I blame you for him not coming home more often?'

Jack started to give an answer but Ianto's dad butted i. 'Only kidding Jack, good to see you. Right, must go and mingle some more.'

'Look at him Jack, he's so happy. Thank you for making it possible for us to be here.' He touched Jack's fingers briefly with his.

Jack just smiled back at him. Moments later Ianto's mum appeared at their side. 'Lovely to see you son, you too Jack.'

'Great to be here Mrs Jones, sorry Carys. I'll just go and get some drinks.' Leaving her to have some time alone with her son.

'Did he suspect anything mam?' Ianto asked.

'Nope, not inkling at all.'

She clasped her son's hand. 'So, how are you?'

'Fine mam, just fine.' As he beamed into her face.

As she held his hand she realised he was wearing a ring, she didn't remember his ever wearing one.

'What's this?' She asked as she lifted his hand to see it

'It's kind of like a commitment ring, Jack gave it to me earlier. He has one too. It symbolises that we are together.' She could hear the happiness in his voice. 'I love him so much mam.'

'He's a good man Ianto, and I'm happy for you if you're sure it's him you want?'

'Never been more sure in my life.' He leaned over and kissed his mum's cheek as Jack came back, a glass of lager in one hand, water in the other.

Ianto's mum took the drinks from his hand and handed them to Ianto before hugging him close. Jack gazed over her shoulder at Ianto, who was smiling inanely. She broke the hug and smiled at him before kissing him on the cheek.

'Ianto just showed me the ring you gave him. It's beautiful Jack, you'll make a great son-in-law.' She then burst out laughing at the look on Jack's face.

Jack realised she was joking and laughed too along with Ianto.

'As I said I've not told anyone about you and Jack, it's up to you, but remember the grandkids are here and your secret might not be safe for long ... Auntie Jack.' She laughed and walked off to speak to someone who was trying to attract her attention.

'I want them to know about us Jack.'

'You sure?'

'Yep. Anyway, as mam said, once the kids realise you're here, they'll know anyway. Let's go and speak to the kids, I have a plan.'

'What?'

'You'll see.' Ianto smiled broadly at him.

The kids were playing some kind of game at the far end off the room, out the way of the dancefloor and tables and chairs. They spotted Ianto and Jack as they neared them and ran over to them.

'Uncle Ianto, Uncle Ianto they screeched scrabbling to hug him. Then they realised Jack was standing behind him. 'Auntie Jack, Auntie Jack.' They all jumped upon him too. Ianto glanced about smiling, no one had noticed over the noise of chatter and the music. Good.

'Kids, I want you to do something for me.' They were young and innocent and wouldn't guess what Ianto was up to. 'When you speak to any of your granddads friends, or relatives that don't know Jack, if they ask who he is tell them he's you're auntie Jack, okay?'

They all nodded, to them it was like a game. Ianto and Jack walked away and sat at a table for a while watching them. They went back to playing their game for a while before getting bored and splitting up, going back to their parents before wandering round the room speaking to anyone who spoke to them.

Before long the buffet was served and people settled at tables to eat. Ianto could sense people glancing discreetly in their direction, but nothing was said. He smiled to himself, his plan would soon be complete and everyone in the room would know about him and Jack for sure. He looked at Jack, who he hadn't still explained exactly what he was up to and smiled. Jack clutched his hand under the table.

The food cleared away and the tables were moved to the edge of the room as the DJ turned up the music for the evening. Ianto's mum had done a great job finding him, he had music to suit everyone's taste, from the youngest to the oldest. One of the kids dragged Ianto up onto the dancefloor to dance for something that was a hit for the moment, Jack refused and watched from his chair.

Ianto came back at the end of the track and collapsed next to Jack. 'I must be getting old.' He laughed.

Word was getting round the room, the glances were getting less subtle. It amused him that no one had actually come up to them to ask if it was true, worried that the kids were just playing a game and pretending. At last a song came on that was perfect for the rest of his plan. Slow and romantic.

There was no one on the dance floor which nearly stopped him, but he took a deep breath and pulled Jack up from his seat. He could feel himself turning pink, but he couldn't stop now. All eyes were on them as he led Jack to the middle of the dancefloor. He stopped and turned to Jack pulling him close.

Jack whispered in his ear. 'Are you sure about this?'

Ianto nodded gently, trying not to look at everyone around them, he knew his face was glowing a deepening shade of pink. 'Yep, dance with me Jack.'

Jack began to lead him round the dance floor. Ianto's nervous expression was slowly changing, he started smiling again.

'I love you Jack.' He whispered.

'I know, for you to do this must have taken so much courage. I love you too.'

Ianto glanced over Jack's shoulder and saw his parents heading for the dancefloor, then they began to dance as well. Slowly more and more people joined them and the floor was full. Ianto relaxed completely. As far as he could tell, everyone was okay with him being with Jack. Feeling very brave he placed a very brief gentle kiss on Jack's lips, then rested his head on Jack's shoulder as the track ended and another slow one started.

Gwen was waiting for Rhys to come back, he had gone out for food. She was watching the rift monitor, all the odd spikes had stopped, but she had an uneasy feeling. She just knew something was going on, no matter what the computers were telling her. She was just about to pop to the bathroom when the hubs intruder alarms went off.

She looked at the monitor, flicking through the CCTV, looking into each room. She was just about to change to CCTV to another view in a dark room in the depths of the hub when she spotted a small red light, then another. Soon she could see six, okay, now she was feeling worried. With good reason, just before the hub went into lockdown she saw what had come through the rift into the basement. Then the monitors went blank.

She was stuck. Her mobile rang, it was Rhys.

'Gwen, I can't get in.'

'Rhys, there's something in here, they are in the basement I have no idea what they are, but they don't look friendly. The hub has gone into lockdown, no one can get in or out. I need to get hold of Jack.'

'Can I do anything?'

'No. Oh fuck. Look I'll call you back, I have to phone Jack.

She rang Jack's mobile, it went straight to the answerphone. She swore in frustration. She called Ianto's. It rang and rang and rang for what seemed like forever before she gave up.

She called Rhys back.

'I can't fucking get hold of either of them Rhys. I don't know what to do.'

'Keep calm Gwen, there must be someone who can help. Andy?'

'No, he can't.' She shouted at him. 'I know who I can phone.' She cut him off.

She dialed another number, it was answered on the second ring.

'Oh my god, you have to help me.' She was on the verge of panic now, she could hear whatever it was down below moving about, all be it very distant at the moment.

'Gwen, Gwen is that you? Calm down, what's the matter.'

She explained about Jack and Ianto being in London and that the hub had gone into lockdown and that she couldn't contact them. She was getting more and more distressed.

'What do they look like.'

'I didn't see them for long.'

'Anything, any little detail.'

Gwen said what she had seen.

'Oh shit.' The voice at the other end of the line exclaimed 'Gwen, hide. Whatever you do don't confront them. Have you called the hotel?'

'No, I didn't think of that, I was panicing too much that they didn't answer their mobiles.'

'Right, I'll call them. You hide. On second thoughts, I'll go and personally get them, they'll need a way to get back to Cardiff fast. Bye Gwen.'

A young woman rushed into the London Hilton Hotel and frantically insisted she needed to speak to Captain Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones. The rather stuck up man behind the desk looked her up and down and asked her if it was really so important that she seemed to have lost her manners.

She shoved a hand in her pocket and flashed a card at him.

'Yes Ma'am, I'll go and get them now.'

He entered the function room and scanned the people, he remembered them distinctly, they didn't often get men sharing a suite. He spotted them sitting over by a wall, in conversation with a group of people he assumed to be relatives.

He coughed. 'Excuse me sir's, there is a young lady in the foyer insisting to see you. She says it's very important.'

Jack and Ianto excused themselves from the group and followed his out of the room back to the foyer.

'Martha?'

'Jack, Gwen called me. She has a problem, the spikes in the rift, they did let something through, but they cloaked themselves. The hub has gone into lockdown and she's on her own, and it seems there is at least six of them in there with her. I've told her to hide. I have a helicopter waiting for us in Hyde Park.'

'Martha, what are they?' He asked as they rushed out the hotel.

Marta stopped, realising she hadn't actually told them.

'Daleks Jack.'

'Oh Fuck.'

TBC.