Birthday Gift
Birthday Gift
Rating: R (bad words...but justified ones...you'll see)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, June/Clark, Gareth/Beth, John/Scott
Summary: Little Johnny is turning five and he's getting a hell of a birthday present from his Mum.
Notes: I hope I did justice to the medical scene here. Please let me know if it sounds fishy.
“Gifts on the table, children are playing outside,” June intoned as jack and Ianto walked through the open door.
Jack put down the present wrapped in dinosaur paper as Ianto headed towards the backyard. “You sound done in. The party started seven minutes ago.”
“I’ve been here for five hours setting up for a five year old’s birthday party, so imagine that.” June said, “Beth’s fit to bursting, so she’s not much help and Gareth called for reinforcements in the form of Clark and his Magical Storybook Skills.”
Jack merely raised an eyebrow.
June smiled. “He does voices and jumps around, the whole shebang. Sometimes I feel like I’ve got two kids to take care of.”
“I know what you mean,” Ianto grinned as he slipped back into the kitchen.
“I’ll have you know I do not know to what he is referring,” Jack faked a frown. “I am the poster boy for maturity.”
His last word was barely gotten out before Ianto and June launched in a fit of mirth.
“What all this then?” Gareth asked as he entered the room.
“I have it; I know what I look like!” His wife, Beth, announced as followed a step behind him. “I look like a manatee!” she gestured to her grey dress and pouted.
“You do not,” June soothed the woman as Gareth poured more punch into the serving bowl. “You have a healthy pregnant glow. You look radiant, doesn’t she look radiant, Gareth?”
“As a nuclear power plant,” the man replied with a smirk.
Jack took a step back and pulled Ianto back as well. “Don’t want to get blood on our clothes,” he explained.
June just turned to gape at him, “How are you still alive?”
Gareth smiled. “My beautiful wife can’t kill me; she’d never make it up and down the stairs.”
“Bastard’s right,” Beth grinned. “But when this baby is born, he is going to be making it up to me for the entire first six months of late-nights. And he knows it.”
Gareth shrugged and smiled.
“Stop harassing your wife,” Scott popped his head around the doorway, “and bring back the
punch. Got a handful of thirsty kids, including two over the age of thirty.”
“John’s got in on the action?” June asked as Gareth slipped back into the backyard.
“We do not have to claim them as our husbands,” Scott suggested. “Though yours is currently talking to Martha about whether she wants kids. I think he wants more playmates. Tom’s lucky to have missed this one.”
June laughed and grabbed a plate of sandwiches. “C’mon, everyone. Once more into the breach, once more!”
“Shakespeare?” Ianto asked as the group followed her outside.
“Was that a request?” John asked as he stuffed a sandwich in his mouth.
Scott rolled his eyes. “Not with food in your mouth, you Neanderthal.”
“OW!” Beth cried out.
Ianto, the nearest, caught her as she stumbled. “You all right?”
Beth put a hand to her stomach. “No, I think…I think…my water broke.”
“I’ll call a…oh god,” Scott trailed off as he looked down at Beth’s feet. The other adults all stared as well.
“See, I can’t see my feet, so y’all are making me nervous,” Beth tried to smile, but a fresh wave of pain broke over her and she almost fell again.
Jack was the one to catch her this time and he gently lowered her to the grass.
“What the hell is…” Beth saw what the others already had. A pool of blood was soaking through the grass by her flip-flops. “Oh god, oh god. What’s going on?”
Jack swore, “Dammit, Martha get over here quick!”
June bent down and clutched Beth’s hand. “You’ll be just fine, honey, just breathe.”
“Owowowowow, shit I forgot how much this fucking hurts!” Beth grit out.
A swirl of black fabric landed beside the women. “Can I be of any assistance?” Onyx asked, already kneeling down by Beth’s feet.
Martha arrived from across the yard; she assessed the situation and stood up. “Clark, grab the kids and keep them inside! Ianto, med bag in my car,” she tossed him her keys. “Jack, I need towels; Scott, I need hot water. John, go see if you can locate Gareth. God,” she looked up at the sky, “Owen, you’d be in your element here.” She knelt down. “How’s she doing, Onyx?”
“Bleeding profusely,” Onyx sighed. “Looks like placenta previa.”
“In labour, not deaf,” Beth said, her voice raising an octave in panic. “That sounds really bad.”
Martha laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right, Beth. Just remember how you got through Johnny’s birth and it’ll all be all right.”
Beth whimpered as another contraction hit. “I was…unconscious. Had to…knock me out.”
“Might not be a bad idea,” Onyx murmured to Martha. “I’m thinking C-section.”
“Luckily I’ve got my kit,” Martha nodded.
“Hospital?” June asked.
“Not enough time,” Martha said, looking to Onyx for confirmation.
“This child is coming now,” the dark-haired woman replied. “Even if we get an ambulance, it’s fifteen minutes to the nearest hospital. She can have the baby here or in a speeding ambulance.”
“Here,” Beth gasped out, “here. Oh god,” she groaned, “it fucking hurts.”
Gareth appeared around the side of the house and he raced to his wife’s side. Taking her hand from June’s he put an arm around her. “Please, tell me this isn’t as bad as it looks.”
“It’s not,” Martha assured him as Ianto brought over her med kit. “We can do a C-section, I’ve got the tools and Onyx’s got the experience.”
The man was still looking with an ashen face at the blood.
“Gareth,” Jack barked.
Startled, Gareth’s head snapped up to the other.
“Your wife needs you. Now is not the time to freak out, do you understand me?”
“Yeah,” the Welshman nodded. “Yeah,” he said with more conviction.
Martha held up her hands. “Okay, Gareth stay, Onyx stay, everyone else into the house. Beth’s not charging admission.”
“Maybe I…owowow, fuck wank ow…should,” Beth huffed a laugh.
Jack clapped his hands. “You heard the doctor, everyone in! C’mon, let’s distract the kids so Johnny doesn’t worry about his Mum on his birthday.” He turned back and met Martha’s eyes. “She’s going to be just fine,” the statement was both a question and a command.
Martha nodded. “I’ve assisted with a couple C-sections before and this is Onyx’s area. Couldn’t have happened at a better time…well, outside a hospital.”
Jack nodded and trailed after all the others going into the house.
Clark looked up with worry in his eyes as everyone came in. He did a quick head count. “What’s going on?”
Ianto gestured to Johnny. “His baby sister is being born.”
Johnny’s eyes widened and he took off for the door. “Sister, sister, sister!”
Ianto caught him. “Nope, not yet. She’s on her way, but you need to be patient. Mummy and Daddy are going to need to do this alone for the moment. Besides…” Ianto looked around the room for help.
John stepped forward. “Besides, it’s time for the Legend of…um…the…”
“The Legend of the Sock Eater,” Scott declared with a wave of his arms.
His husband turned to him with shock on his face.
Scott smiled. “I’m allowed my moments of creativity, Mr. Entertainer.”
With a grin on his face, John turned back to the kids. “The Legend of the Sock Eater begins in on a dreary Scotland day…”
Ianto went over to Clark. “I’ll trade you the scoop for Emrys.”
The older man handed over the clapping infant. “Beth’s all right, isn’t she?”
“She’ll be fine. Onyx and Martha are doing a C-section. June and Gareth are moral support.”
“My girl,” Clark smiled, “always there when people need her.”
Ianto returned the smile. “You’re a lucky one, mate.” He turned back to the room. “Now me,” he tilted his head in the direction of Jack, who’d gotten into the story with John and Scott and was currently pretending to be a helpless sock, “I got a nutter.”
Two hours went by and several other stories were made up. Jessie and Camryn Emerson showed up and were promptly informed of the situation. Caryl quickly settled in to watch the impromptu panto going on in the living room as Camryn went to see if her nursing skills might be helpful.
Another hour passed and Camryn came rushing into the room. She was smiling from ear to ear. She scooped up Johnny and spun him around. “Hey Johnny Cash, it’s time to meet your baby sister!”
Johnny gave a yell of joy and wriggled until Camryn set him down. He took off like a shot for the backyard.
Camryn faced the others. “Baby and Mummy are fine, just finished cleaning them both up. Gareth’s going to need a strong drink come tonight.”
Clark was the first out the door. The sight that greeted him and the others made him stop and just smile.
Beth was flushed and holding onto a small bundle wrapped in a beach towel.
Johnny was peering into it and beaming. “Is that my sister?”
His mother nodded. “This is your sister, Jenny. Jennifer Cecilia Nicole.”
Gareth smiled at his wife and children. “Obviously, she takes after Mummy and is going to be a drama queen.”
Lazily grinning, Beth just said, “The first seven months, Gareth."
Rating: R (bad words...but justified ones...you'll see)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, June/Clark, Gareth/Beth, John/Scott
Summary: Little Johnny is turning five and he's getting a hell of a birthday present from his Mum.
Notes: I hope I did justice to the medical scene here. Please let me know if it sounds fishy.
“Gifts on the table, children are playing outside,” June intoned as jack and Ianto walked through the open door.
Jack put down the present wrapped in dinosaur paper as Ianto headed towards the backyard. “You sound done in. The party started seven minutes ago.”
“I’ve been here for five hours setting up for a five year old’s birthday party, so imagine that.” June said, “Beth’s fit to bursting, so she’s not much help and Gareth called for reinforcements in the form of Clark and his Magical Storybook Skills.”
Jack merely raised an eyebrow.
June smiled. “He does voices and jumps around, the whole shebang. Sometimes I feel like I’ve got two kids to take care of.”
“I know what you mean,” Ianto grinned as he slipped back into the kitchen.
“I’ll have you know I do not know to what he is referring,” Jack faked a frown. “I am the poster boy for maturity.”
His last word was barely gotten out before Ianto and June launched in a fit of mirth.
“What all this then?” Gareth asked as he entered the room.
“I have it; I know what I look like!” His wife, Beth, announced as followed a step behind him. “I look like a manatee!” she gestured to her grey dress and pouted.
“You do not,” June soothed the woman as Gareth poured more punch into the serving bowl. “You have a healthy pregnant glow. You look radiant, doesn’t she look radiant, Gareth?”
“As a nuclear power plant,” the man replied with a smirk.
Jack took a step back and pulled Ianto back as well. “Don’t want to get blood on our clothes,” he explained.
June just turned to gape at him, “How are you still alive?”
Gareth smiled. “My beautiful wife can’t kill me; she’d never make it up and down the stairs.”
“Bastard’s right,” Beth grinned. “But when this baby is born, he is going to be making it up to me for the entire first six months of late-nights. And he knows it.”
Gareth shrugged and smiled.
“Stop harassing your wife,” Scott popped his head around the doorway, “and bring back the
punch. Got a handful of thirsty kids, including two over the age of thirty.”
“John’s got in on the action?” June asked as Gareth slipped back into the backyard.
“We do not have to claim them as our husbands,” Scott suggested. “Though yours is currently talking to Martha about whether she wants kids. I think he wants more playmates. Tom’s lucky to have missed this one.”
June laughed and grabbed a plate of sandwiches. “C’mon, everyone. Once more into the breach, once more!”
“Shakespeare?” Ianto asked as the group followed her outside.
“Was that a request?” John asked as he stuffed a sandwich in his mouth.
Scott rolled his eyes. “Not with food in your mouth, you Neanderthal.”
“OW!” Beth cried out.
Ianto, the nearest, caught her as she stumbled. “You all right?”
Beth put a hand to her stomach. “No, I think…I think…my water broke.”
“I’ll call a…oh god,” Scott trailed off as he looked down at Beth’s feet. The other adults all stared as well.
“See, I can’t see my feet, so y’all are making me nervous,” Beth tried to smile, but a fresh wave of pain broke over her and she almost fell again.
Jack was the one to catch her this time and he gently lowered her to the grass.
“What the hell is…” Beth saw what the others already had. A pool of blood was soaking through the grass by her flip-flops. “Oh god, oh god. What’s going on?”
Jack swore, “Dammit, Martha get over here quick!”
June bent down and clutched Beth’s hand. “You’ll be just fine, honey, just breathe.”
“Owowowowow, shit I forgot how much this fucking hurts!” Beth grit out.
A swirl of black fabric landed beside the women. “Can I be of any assistance?” Onyx asked, already kneeling down by Beth’s feet.
Martha arrived from across the yard; she assessed the situation and stood up. “Clark, grab the kids and keep them inside! Ianto, med bag in my car,” she tossed him her keys. “Jack, I need towels; Scott, I need hot water. John, go see if you can locate Gareth. God,” she looked up at the sky, “Owen, you’d be in your element here.” She knelt down. “How’s she doing, Onyx?”
“Bleeding profusely,” Onyx sighed. “Looks like placenta previa.”
“In labour, not deaf,” Beth said, her voice raising an octave in panic. “That sounds really bad.”
Martha laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right, Beth. Just remember how you got through Johnny’s birth and it’ll all be all right.”
Beth whimpered as another contraction hit. “I was…unconscious. Had to…knock me out.”
“Might not be a bad idea,” Onyx murmured to Martha. “I’m thinking C-section.”
“Luckily I’ve got my kit,” Martha nodded.
“Hospital?” June asked.
“Not enough time,” Martha said, looking to Onyx for confirmation.
“This child is coming now,” the dark-haired woman replied. “Even if we get an ambulance, it’s fifteen minutes to the nearest hospital. She can have the baby here or in a speeding ambulance.”
“Here,” Beth gasped out, “here. Oh god,” she groaned, “it fucking hurts.”
Gareth appeared around the side of the house and he raced to his wife’s side. Taking her hand from June’s he put an arm around her. “Please, tell me this isn’t as bad as it looks.”
“It’s not,” Martha assured him as Ianto brought over her med kit. “We can do a C-section, I’ve got the tools and Onyx’s got the experience.”
The man was still looking with an ashen face at the blood.
“Gareth,” Jack barked.
Startled, Gareth’s head snapped up to the other.
“Your wife needs you. Now is not the time to freak out, do you understand me?”
“Yeah,” the Welshman nodded. “Yeah,” he said with more conviction.
Martha held up her hands. “Okay, Gareth stay, Onyx stay, everyone else into the house. Beth’s not charging admission.”
“Maybe I…owowow, fuck wank ow…should,” Beth huffed a laugh.
Jack clapped his hands. “You heard the doctor, everyone in! C’mon, let’s distract the kids so Johnny doesn’t worry about his Mum on his birthday.” He turned back and met Martha’s eyes. “She’s going to be just fine,” the statement was both a question and a command.
Martha nodded. “I’ve assisted with a couple C-sections before and this is Onyx’s area. Couldn’t have happened at a better time…well, outside a hospital.”
Jack nodded and trailed after all the others going into the house.
Clark looked up with worry in his eyes as everyone came in. He did a quick head count. “What’s going on?”
Ianto gestured to Johnny. “His baby sister is being born.”
Johnny’s eyes widened and he took off for the door. “Sister, sister, sister!”
Ianto caught him. “Nope, not yet. She’s on her way, but you need to be patient. Mummy and Daddy are going to need to do this alone for the moment. Besides…” Ianto looked around the room for help.
John stepped forward. “Besides, it’s time for the Legend of…um…the…”
“The Legend of the Sock Eater,” Scott declared with a wave of his arms.
His husband turned to him with shock on his face.
Scott smiled. “I’m allowed my moments of creativity, Mr. Entertainer.”
With a grin on his face, John turned back to the kids. “The Legend of the Sock Eater begins in on a dreary Scotland day…”
Ianto went over to Clark. “I’ll trade you the scoop for Emrys.”
The older man handed over the clapping infant. “Beth’s all right, isn’t she?”
“She’ll be fine. Onyx and Martha are doing a C-section. June and Gareth are moral support.”
“My girl,” Clark smiled, “always there when people need her.”
Ianto returned the smile. “You’re a lucky one, mate.” He turned back to the room. “Now me,” he tilted his head in the direction of Jack, who’d gotten into the story with John and Scott and was currently pretending to be a helpless sock, “I got a nutter.”
Two hours went by and several other stories were made up. Jessie and Camryn Emerson showed up and were promptly informed of the situation. Caryl quickly settled in to watch the impromptu panto going on in the living room as Camryn went to see if her nursing skills might be helpful.
Another hour passed and Camryn came rushing into the room. She was smiling from ear to ear. She scooped up Johnny and spun him around. “Hey Johnny Cash, it’s time to meet your baby sister!”
Johnny gave a yell of joy and wriggled until Camryn set him down. He took off like a shot for the backyard.
Camryn faced the others. “Baby and Mummy are fine, just finished cleaning them both up. Gareth’s going to need a strong drink come tonight.”
Clark was the first out the door. The sight that greeted him and the others made him stop and just smile.
Beth was flushed and holding onto a small bundle wrapped in a beach towel.
Johnny was peering into it and beaming. “Is that my sister?”
His mother nodded. “This is your sister, Jenny. Jennifer Cecilia Nicole.”
Gareth smiled at his wife and children. “Obviously, she takes after Mummy and is going to be a drama queen.”
Lazily grinning, Beth just said, “The first seven months, Gareth."