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Link to Part 16
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Ianto and the Doctor looked up as Hope came charging into the console room, The five year old looked more like she should be renamed Chaos right now, her dark, silky hair was half brushed, her hazel eyes alight with mischief as she ran. Jack had obviously managed to lever their admittedly tomboyish daughter into a pretty blue dress, but she had apparently then staged a jail break.
“No running in the console room,” the Doctor reminded her as Ianto moved to intercept, sweeping her up in his arms and tickling the bottom of one bare foot until she howled with laughter.
“Tad,” she squealed, kicking ineffectually to try to get her foot out of his reach.
“Why are you running away from Daddy? I thought you wanted to look nice today,” he said.
“Did, do, don’t like when Daddy brushes my hair, like better when Tad or Papa does it,” she pouted.
“That is because I always seem to get you after you’ve been rolling around in the garden to tangle it into knots, heathen,” Jack chided with amusement, coming in to retrieve her.
“Come on imp, we don’t want to be late today, I’ll come and help Daddy get you ready,” Ianto said,
The Doctor grinned after them as the two left the room, shaking his head as he checked the settings, he would never have thought after the Time War that he could be this happy again, two incredible mates, a beautiful daughter, and unless he was very much mistaken, Jack was pregnant again, although the immortal had said nothing yet. He didn’t blame him, really, given that it had taken both Ianto and the Doctor a good three years to stop treating him like they thought he was breakable after Hope’s birth.
Ianto’s presence had seemingly worked wonders in getting Hope presentable, they were back in under 10 minutes, her hair now pulled back in a glossy braid, the blue dress complemented with blue patent shoes and little white socks. Ianto had even managed to prize Jack out of his retro military look, he was now wearing a pair of black trousers and a white shirt and blue tie, while Ianto was in his normal attire of a smart suit.
“Wow, you three look stunning,” he said.
“Why thank you, I don’t suppose there is any chance we’re going to get you to wear something else is there?” Ianto asked.
“Nope, no chance at all, hang on, we’re landing,” the Doctor laughed.
Ianto dropped into the seat, holding Hope tightly as the TARDIS rocked, rolling his eyes as Jack leaned nonchalantly against the railing, riding out the turbulence. They landed with a thud, and Hope wriggled out of his grip, sliding off the seat and scampering over to the Doctor,
“We go and see Auntie Martha now?”
”Yep, and the others too,”
“Good,” she said, going over to wait impatiently at the door,
“I think our lady would like to go now,” the Doctor grinned,
“Yeah, getting that impression,” Jack laughed.
They stepped out of the TARDIS, looking around the park they had landed in.
“Where are we supposed to be meeting them?” Ianto asked.
“Here, apparently, incoming,” Jack laughed, seeing both Martha and Tom sprinting over.
“It is so good to see you lot, we weren’t sure if you were going to make it in time.”
“We wouldn’t miss this; we’re not late, are we?” Jack asked, hugging her.
“No, we haven’t even started the picnic yet, we’ve plenty of time, and this isn’t little miss Hope is it, my how you’ve grown.”
“Auntie Martha,” she squealed, holding her arms up in silent request. Martha grinned and swung the little girl up onto her hip, hugging her.
“Who else is here?” the Doctor asked.
“Tosh and Owen of course, Rhys and Faith,”
“How is Rhys?”
“He’s doing ok, I think he might be seeing someone now, but I’m not sure,”
“I’m glad, I didn’t think he would ever get over seeing Gwen killed like that,” Jack sighed.
That was the first thing that had called them back to Earth, after their departure, Gwen’s funeral had been a sad affair on a rainy day. She had been killed by a Weevil defending Rhys and six month old Faith from it.
The second return to Earth had been much happier, Martha and Tom’s wedding, they had introduced Ianto’s mum to Hope then too, she had been very understanding about the very unusual relationship her son was involved in, and now they came to Earth quite frequently to visit her, and their old friends from Torchwood.
Now finally a wedding that in Ianto’s opinion was long overdue.
“Here they are, the bride and groom,” Martha laughed as they reached a picnic set up in a patch of shade, Rhys was sitting with three year old Faith on his lap, she looked startlingly like a miniature Gwen, dark hair, big eyes, but when she grinned at the sight of Hope, there was no gap in her teeth, and across from them, Tosh and Owen sat together, shoulder to shoulder.
Tosh blushed when Jack leaned down to kiss her, but Owen really should have known better than to protest, he had known Jack long enough after all.
“Geroff, Muppet, eew,” he choked, shoving Jack away when he got a greeting kiss too.
“What, I thought you were feeling left out,” Jack said as everyone laughed at Owen.
“I thought you two would have had him leashed by now,” Owen protested to Jack and the Doctor, generating more laughter.
“So, you two finally getting hitched then,” Ianto said, changing the subject rapidly, and tugging Jack down between him and the Doctor so that they would have a shot at making him behave.
“Yeah, well, you know,” Owen blushed, wrapping his hand around Tosh’s.
“You two are so cute,” Jack laughed, making the Doctor frown at an odd déjà vu, when had Jack said that before? He shrugged it off, it wasn’t important. Nothing was important but the here and now, and the future, he mused, watching as Hope and Faith scampered off together to play in the sunlight, the past was just that, past.
The End.
