torchwoodinstitute | (no subject)

(no subject)

Who: Alpha Jack, Omega Gabriel and the gang.
When: A few months after Jack and Gabriel returned home from the Original Timeline
What: Torchwood isn't really baby proofed.

Jack frowned up at the ceiling, exhausted. It was sort of amazing how he could literally be filled with so much of the universe's energy that he couldn't stay dead and yet could feel this way. Of course, no one could blame him for wanting to hide in his office and nap for a little while.

Sasan was playing babysitter. Gabriel was off on a mission with Jim, soon to return home of course, and there were no pressing matters to concern him for once.

Life was good. Tiring but good.

And that was when the alarm went off.

Of course it did.

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"I just destroyed a loaf of bread with the memories, thoughts and feelings of the people in this lab--" Jack couldn't help but grin. "So yeah actually. I feel pretty good. Everything is all right. Sasan can tell everyone off and how about we take a little siesta? What do you think, Gin? Nap time? Let Mommy's finger go? No? How about you let Daddy hold you?"

He put out his large hands and the girl immediately wriggled her hands for him, her grin matching his right down to the dimples.

"There we go. Mommy can use his hands again." He put Gin in one arm and wrapped the other around his bondmate. "I'm thinking soak in the tub and foot massage?"

Jack have great foot massages!

Jack sure did. Gabriel was half-convinced it was a superpower, and one Gabriel was going to have to learn. Jack deserved good foot massages himself, after all.

Gabriel groaned happily at the suggestion, as if he were already in the tub. "That sounds fantastic," he said, leaning into Jack's side. It was time for a break, wasn't it? And looking at the dimples on display here, the smiling faces of his family- it was a little too much for him. Gabriel smiled with a brilliance rarely seen, leaning his head on Jack's shoulder and wrapping his now-free arm around Jack.

"You both make me so happy." He leaned forward and kissed Ginny on the head. She made a 'blat' noise at him and patted his face, before going back to resolutely hugging Daddy. She was definitely awake now. "I hope you know."

There was no way Jack couldn't, honestly, but it still bore saying out loud. Especially since the bond came as something of an accident, and had caused them all to lose Mohinder- it was important Jack knew exactly how Gabriel felt about them. He wouldn't give this up for anything.

A foot rub. Some play time with Ginny. Dinner of take out Chinese-- Life was so normal. Jack had missed normal for a really long time.

Trying to get a sitter was, however, an effort in futility. Sasan had his trip planned with Jim, Kaylee looked like she was going to pass out from holding her breath, Watson was already overworked. JC was just too weird (sorry but he was).

So it was either a normal, non-Torchwood person or... Well, he could ask Henry and Mitchell. Gabriel might have some qualms about a guy that saw ghosts and a vampire sitting for them for an overnight getaway though, so he brought it up to Gabriel the next afternoon while Ginny napped in her bouncey chair.

Ah, well. Sasan had to get back to his own life eventually, Gabriel supposed. They'd honestly gotten lucky that he'd been so enthusiastic about Ginny in the first place. He thought about maybe calling the getaway off for now, but he thought Jack could really use a little rest. And yes, he knew that was a silly thing to think of Jack, but he still felt like it was true. Ginny could be pretty tough on dear old daddy.

And to be honest, Gabriel could use a break, too.

Still, the current options weren't great. He frowned in thought as he stared at his little princess. "I wouldn't mind Henry, but I think we should find someone outside Torchwood we can trust. If I end up getting a heat while Torchwood's in crisis mode, I don't want watching her to put more agents out of commission." That probably wouldn't be a concern once his hormones evened out a little more and he was cleared for suppressants again, but who knew how long that would be? "We could treat the overnight as a sort of audition?"

Mixing Torchwood and non-Torchwood things didn't tend to work very well, but this wouldn't be an often-utilized thing. Maybe it'd be okay.

Getting a sitter outside of Torchwood was as easy as joining a reputable website, looking through a list of candidates (mostly young Omegas and Beta females), and sending an email. Jack was present, but he let Gabriel do the selecting.

The first person to respond was twenty, in college getting her degree in early childhood education and was a female Beta. She looked nice enough and the website scored her well on punctuality, infant care, and over night sitting jobs. She had an excellent list of other site users who left her the best reviews.

Jack was fine with it.

The young woman, Natalie, came by the apartment two days later. Jack answered the door with Ginny in his arms and brought their new sitter inside so that Gabriel could read her the riot act. Jack left money for a pizza, pulled Gabriel away from his third goodbye and got him in the car.

"It will be fine. You can call in two hours to ease your mind." First time mothers were always a wreck leaving their kids with strangers.

Gabriel spent what was probably a ridiculous amount of time researching sitters online. It helped that money wasn't a restraint, but Jack was right- it was so hard to leave his little girl with someone new. As the night approached, he grew more and more anxious about it, even though Natalie was every bit the sitter he'd hoped for. Or she seemed to be, anyway.

Gabriel tried to hide his worry (outwardly, anyway), but even that was a little rough. During parts of the day, one could hear a low rumble emanating from him as he walked by.

After exhaustively going through everything Ginny liked and didn't like, he finally said goodbye for real, and then they were on their way. He squirmed in the car until Jack reassured him. "I'm being silly, aren't I?" he said, shaking his head at himself. "Natalie seems like a good choice. I'm sure it'll be fine." That didn't mean he wouldn't call in two hours, as Jack suggested. It would make him feel better.

Like with a lot of things relating to Ginny, Jack seemed a natural with this. That probably came from having done it a number of times before, throughout the years.

"So," he asked with a smile. "Is this a night-on-the-town sort of night, or is it a night where we don't leave the hotel room?"

"Can't we have both?" Jack asked with a sheen in his eyes as he gently held the omega's hand and kissed his knuckles. "We do need to eat."

Eat. Drink. Not have to worry about a child-- they were waiting on dessert at a fancy restaurant Sasan had told Jack was the current best in Cardiff when Gabriel went off to check on Ginny and the sitter. Natalie sounded tired in the phone but assured Gabriel thst everything was going just fine. She and Ginny were playing with blocks and she would take her up to bathe her in half an hour.

She was a sweet girl. She even asked how Gabriel's evening was going and put him on the phone with Ginny to coo at for a moment.

Sasan didn't take long before he knew this city like the back of his hand, Gabriel noticed. He was always the one to go to, if one wanted to know what was the absolute best. The dinner was amazing, and Gabriel settled into comfortable conversation with Jack as their dinner went on.

But yes, he was still going to make that phone call. And it was just what he should've known. They were having a good time, and Natalie was wonderful, already. He assured her that they were having a lovely evening, and spent probably too much time 'reassuring Ginny'- she didn't need to be reassured at all, from the sound of it. She giggled and babbled back.

When he got back to the table, he felt a little embarrassed. But this was his little girl, okay? He was fiercely protective of his new, wonderful family. "Ginny and Natalie say hi," he told Jack. "Everything sounded fine. She was having fun."

And Gabriel had a 'volcanic brownie sundae' coming to him, so suffice it to say he was having fun, too. His mind drifted away from Ginny as the giant plate of sugar arrived. It looked like it was meant for five people, which meant Gabriel...well, he'd have to go slow with it. And maybe he'd share with Jack, some.

Just happy to watch Gabriel tackle the mounds of sugary, chocolatey dessert, Jack couldn't keep the smile from his face. Gone was any shred of regret from what had happened on that mission last year. He might have broken up an engagement and gotten a family without really wanting another, but the result had been a contentment he hadn't known in a long time.

They had a little wine and since Gabriel was now completely filled with volcanic fudge, brownie and ice cream, they skipped the dancing and just walked hand in hand along a brightly lit street with lights curled around the branches of trees.

"Gabe, I have a question to ask," Jack said as they stood alone in a garden lit by fireflies at the rear entrance of the boutique hotel that Sasan had also recommended. With a flourish of his greatcoat, Jack took a knee and offered Gabriel a ring.

They were bond mates. They had a child. Marriage didn't mean as much to Alphas and Omegas as it did to Betas but... Call Jack a romantic.

Oh. Oh. For some reason, Gabriel hadn't even thought about this being a possibility. He'd thought they might get married someday, maybe even several decades in the future. When Jack wanted. Gabriel had tried to rush things so quickly at first that he put on the brakes hard once they'd talked that out.

And here Jack was, on one knee with a ring.

Tears clouded his vision as he smiled wide at the man. This spot was beautiful. Everything was perfect. "You don't even have to ask it," Gabriel said, reaching out carefully to take the ring. "You know the answer already." And if not, everything in his eyes said yes.

Of course bonding was more important than marriage to non-Betas. But for two who had rather accidentally bonded, this was- well, it was furthering the commitment. It was thoughtful. And it was certainly romantic, a trait that Jack and Gabriel both shared. And they would share it until the end of time itself. Gabriel felt the weight of that settle in further, and it was possibly the most wonderful thing he'd ever felt.

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