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galadriel1010Title: Birthday Blues
Chapter Title: Plotting Children and Poorly Parent
Challenge/Fest: Schmoop_Bingo
Prompt: Birthday: Celebrant is Sick
Rating: U
Characters: Jack/Ianto, Mirabelle, Andrew, Mica, David + other family members
Summary: The family are out at the farm in the Beacons, looking forwards to spending Ianto's thirtieth birthday there together. It wouldn't be them if several things didn't go wrong, though.
Contains: Illness, an unscheduled trip to Grenada, family fluffiness, a picnic and a milestone birthday.
Disclaimer: Torchwood and its environs, occurences and persons belong to the BBC. The original characters have disowned me.
Jack stuck his head up through the trap door into the hayloft and relaxed. “So that's where you all went.”
“We left you a note,” Mica pointed out defensively.
Jack sighed and hauled himself up through the hole, then settled down between Mirabelle and Mica with his legs crossed. They had left him a note, this was true; unfortunately, Mirabelle had written it, and she was four. “What are we all doing up here? More to the point, what are we all doing up here without a packed lunch?”
David frowned seriously in a vain attempt to fight back his laughter. “This is the first meeting of the top secret Ianto's Birthday plotters.”
Jack blinked and shifted his arm to let Mirabelle curl up against him. “I didn't realise it was a secret...”
“Well it isn't, yet,” David tapped his nose.
Mica sighed. “Really, Uncle Jack. It's the big three-oh. It has to be big.”
“How big?” Jack asked warily, recognising Rhiannon's influence all over the proceedings.
“Well...” Mica pulled out a pad of paper and passed it over to him. It was filled with a list of names in her mother's neat print. “That's the list that Mum's done of who she thinks should be invited from the family, plus the work people she knows. She's invited them, by the way.”
“When?”
“Last month... or the month before,” Mica shrugged. “Don't worry about it, she's got it all organised.”
David coughed. “I don't think that was actually reassuring,” he muttered.
Jack laughed and handed her the pad back. “How many are we expecting?”
“This many. Thirty, I think,” she checked down the list and nodded. “Plus whoever you think should be invited who we haven't thought of or don't know. We don't have long, because Uncle Ianto will wonder where you've gone, so we need you to write down anyone you think should be added to the list and their contact details.”
Jack accepted the pad back with a pen and gave David a despairing look. “What have you got planned, then?”
“You write, we'll talk,” David instructed. “We checked the marquee out through sneaky sneakinesss, and it's fine, so Mam and Tad are going to put that up in the big meadow in case of rain. Mum is renting chairs and tables from the church hall in the village, which means that we can clear this barn out and have indoor camping for those that want, and sort the outhouses out for those who want more privacy. Your task is to keep Ianto away.”
“You're our disturbtion,” Mirabelle interjected seriously.
“Distraction, Belle,” David corrected her. “He's a distraction.”
Mica glared at her brother. “It doesn't matter, David. Anyway... Mum says that you should take Ianto for a night at the pub up the valley, the one where he loves the food?” She paused for Jack to indicate his understanding and continued, “He knows that Mum, Dad and Nan are coming up that night, so it would make sense to him if you wanted to take him away that you took him the night before when they can look after us. Not that we need looking after...”
“I've got you,” Jack agreed. “And if I take him out for the day as well, that will give you longer to get things sorted.”
“It will. Take him to Llan-what's-it Priory or something, anything that's in the wrong direction for him to be able to insist that you check in here on your way back,” she instructed. “And Mum will get everything sorted out here so that it's all perfect when you come back.”
Jack found himself nodding and realised again that Ianto's sister could easily give him a run for his money in organisation and administration. He and Ianto needed a PA, and she'd be perfect. “When does she want him back on his birthday?”
“Five or later,” David interjected. “Everyone is due to arrive by four, so by five they should all be here. The caterer is coming at three.”
“Wow,” Jack blinked at them and leaned back. “You've really got everything organised.”
Mica bit her lip, picking up on Jack's disappointment. “We knew that you hadn't had any time to plan anything, with how often you've both been away. And we know Uncle Ianto; if you have brought the idea of a party up, he's said no, right?”
Jack sighed and nodded, smiling ruefully. “Yeah, he has. I'm glad you've organised this... I hate lying to him.”
“That's because you're not very good at it,” Mice smiled at him and patted his leg. “Don't worry about it. We're Joneses, we've got it covered.”
“You do seem to have,” Jack agreed. “Do you need anything else from me?”
“Yes. Go play nurse,” Mica instructed firmly, pointing to the house. “We're going to take Belle and Andrew into the meadow, if that's alright?”
“You know it is,” Jack assured her, standing up. ”I'll do you a picnic, if you like?”
“Thank you,” Mica beamed and hugged his nearest leg.
David reached up to take the pad from Jack and looked down at the names. “Mum has it all sorted really. Nothing much for us to do apart from get you out of the way. Go on, we'll look after these two. You go and look after Ianto.”
Jack let himself back into his and Ianto's room half an hour later and immediately went to rest the back of his hand against Ianto's forehead, but it was batted away. “Your temperature's not sunk, as far as I could tell,” Jack told him worriedly.
“Jack, I'm fine,” Ianto protested grumpily, voice muffled by the pillows. “I've just picked up Andrew's bug from yesterday; I look and feel like shit, but it's nothing.”
“If you're sure,” Jack conceded doubtfully. He sat down at the head of the bed and pulled Ianto's head into his lap so that he could massage his scalp. “I hate it when you're ill.”
“I hate it when I'm ill, too.” Ianto snorted. “Did you find them?”
“Yeah, eventually,” he chuckled. “They left me a note.”
“Oh yeah? Did Belle write it?”
“How did you guess?” Jack stroked Ianto's hair back, teasing his fingers along his hairline. “Promise me you're going to be alright.”
“I'm going to be fine,” Ianto grunted. “I just need peace and quiet.”
“Do you want me to go?” he asked quietly.
Ianto sighed and half-opened his eyes. “No. Stay with me. Don't want to be alone.”
Jack nodded and lifted Ianto up carefully so that he could shuffle down to lie next to him. As soon as he was in position, Ianto snuggled in to his side and rested his head on Jack's chest, nearly whimpering when Jack resumed petting his hair. “Go to sleep,” Jack whispered. “I'll be here.”
Next chapter
Chapter Title: Plotting Children and Poorly Parent
Challenge/Fest: Schmoop_Bingo
Prompt: Birthday: Celebrant is Sick
Rating: U
Characters: Jack/Ianto, Mirabelle, Andrew, Mica, David + other family members
Summary: The family are out at the farm in the Beacons, looking forwards to spending Ianto's thirtieth birthday there together. It wouldn't be them if several things didn't go wrong, though.
Contains: Illness, an unscheduled trip to Grenada, family fluffiness, a picnic and a milestone birthday.
Disclaimer: Torchwood and its environs, occurences and persons belong to the BBC. The original characters have disowned me.
Jack stuck his head up through the trap door into the hayloft and relaxed. “So that's where you all went.”
“We left you a note,” Mica pointed out defensively.
Jack sighed and hauled himself up through the hole, then settled down between Mirabelle and Mica with his legs crossed. They had left him a note, this was true; unfortunately, Mirabelle had written it, and she was four. “What are we all doing up here? More to the point, what are we all doing up here without a packed lunch?”
David frowned seriously in a vain attempt to fight back his laughter. “This is the first meeting of the top secret Ianto's Birthday plotters.”
Jack blinked and shifted his arm to let Mirabelle curl up against him. “I didn't realise it was a secret...”
“Well it isn't, yet,” David tapped his nose.
Mica sighed. “Really, Uncle Jack. It's the big three-oh. It has to be big.”
“How big?” Jack asked warily, recognising Rhiannon's influence all over the proceedings.
“Well...” Mica pulled out a pad of paper and passed it over to him. It was filled with a list of names in her mother's neat print. “That's the list that Mum's done of who she thinks should be invited from the family, plus the work people she knows. She's invited them, by the way.”
“When?”
“Last month... or the month before,” Mica shrugged. “Don't worry about it, she's got it all organised.”
David coughed. “I don't think that was actually reassuring,” he muttered.
Jack laughed and handed her the pad back. “How many are we expecting?”
“This many. Thirty, I think,” she checked down the list and nodded. “Plus whoever you think should be invited who we haven't thought of or don't know. We don't have long, because Uncle Ianto will wonder where you've gone, so we need you to write down anyone you think should be added to the list and their contact details.”
Jack accepted the pad back with a pen and gave David a despairing look. “What have you got planned, then?”
“You write, we'll talk,” David instructed. “We checked the marquee out through sneaky sneakinesss, and it's fine, so Mam and Tad are going to put that up in the big meadow in case of rain. Mum is renting chairs and tables from the church hall in the village, which means that we can clear this barn out and have indoor camping for those that want, and sort the outhouses out for those who want more privacy. Your task is to keep Ianto away.”
“You're our disturbtion,” Mirabelle interjected seriously.
“Distraction, Belle,” David corrected her. “He's a distraction.”
Mica glared at her brother. “It doesn't matter, David. Anyway... Mum says that you should take Ianto for a night at the pub up the valley, the one where he loves the food?” She paused for Jack to indicate his understanding and continued, “He knows that Mum, Dad and Nan are coming up that night, so it would make sense to him if you wanted to take him away that you took him the night before when they can look after us. Not that we need looking after...”
“I've got you,” Jack agreed. “And if I take him out for the day as well, that will give you longer to get things sorted.”
“It will. Take him to Llan-what's-it Priory or something, anything that's in the wrong direction for him to be able to insist that you check in here on your way back,” she instructed. “And Mum will get everything sorted out here so that it's all perfect when you come back.”
Jack found himself nodding and realised again that Ianto's sister could easily give him a run for his money in organisation and administration. He and Ianto needed a PA, and she'd be perfect. “When does she want him back on his birthday?”
“Five or later,” David interjected. “Everyone is due to arrive by four, so by five they should all be here. The caterer is coming at three.”
“Wow,” Jack blinked at them and leaned back. “You've really got everything organised.”
Mica bit her lip, picking up on Jack's disappointment. “We knew that you hadn't had any time to plan anything, with how often you've both been away. And we know Uncle Ianto; if you have brought the idea of a party up, he's said no, right?”
Jack sighed and nodded, smiling ruefully. “Yeah, he has. I'm glad you've organised this... I hate lying to him.”
“That's because you're not very good at it,” Mice smiled at him and patted his leg. “Don't worry about it. We're Joneses, we've got it covered.”
“You do seem to have,” Jack agreed. “Do you need anything else from me?”
“Yes. Go play nurse,” Mica instructed firmly, pointing to the house. “We're going to take Belle and Andrew into the meadow, if that's alright?”
“You know it is,” Jack assured her, standing up. ”I'll do you a picnic, if you like?”
“Thank you,” Mica beamed and hugged his nearest leg.
David reached up to take the pad from Jack and looked down at the names. “Mum has it all sorted really. Nothing much for us to do apart from get you out of the way. Go on, we'll look after these two. You go and look after Ianto.”
Jack let himself back into his and Ianto's room half an hour later and immediately went to rest the back of his hand against Ianto's forehead, but it was batted away. “Your temperature's not sunk, as far as I could tell,” Jack told him worriedly.
“Jack, I'm fine,” Ianto protested grumpily, voice muffled by the pillows. “I've just picked up Andrew's bug from yesterday; I look and feel like shit, but it's nothing.”
“If you're sure,” Jack conceded doubtfully. He sat down at the head of the bed and pulled Ianto's head into his lap so that he could massage his scalp. “I hate it when you're ill.”
“I hate it when I'm ill, too.” Ianto snorted. “Did you find them?”
“Yeah, eventually,” he chuckled. “They left me a note.”
“Oh yeah? Did Belle write it?”
“How did you guess?” Jack stroked Ianto's hair back, teasing his fingers along his hairline. “Promise me you're going to be alright.”
“I'm going to be fine,” Ianto grunted. “I just need peace and quiet.”
“Do you want me to go?” he asked quietly.
Ianto sighed and half-opened his eyes. “No. Stay with me. Don't want to be alone.”
Jack nodded and lifted Ianto up carefully so that he could shuffle down to lie next to him. As soon as he was in position, Ianto snuggled in to his side and rested his head on Jack's chest, nearly whimpering when Jack resumed petting his hair. “Go to sleep,” Jack whispered. “I'll be here.”
Next chapter
