MY SKIN
Alice looked up at him innocently before giggling; she saw someone behind Owen and grinned up at him with a sweet child innocence that could never be faked. The man behind Owen was someone that made two out of the three friends' hearts beat faster and faces flush a bright pink. Alice ran over to him and threw her arms round his neck. "Daddy!" Gwen's mouth dropped open, Ianto dropped the bag filled with bottles of wine and the smash could be heard from the surrounding strangers. Andy made fish faces and Owen smacked a hand to face. "April fools?" he said weakly. "Not bloody likely" Gwen spat out, she made wild hand gestures to Alice. "What...how...why...who...oh bloody hell Jack why didn't you tell me?" "Please don't swear in front of Alice" Jack said pleasantly. "I don't want her picking up bad words" Andy and Ianto exchanged sceptic looks, Jack wanting to be a good influence? Impossible, the man is always a bad influence! "Alice sweetie, why don't you take Uncle Owen to the swings while Daddy explains to his girlfriend and friends something" "Yay! Swings, swings, swings!" Alice chanted running from Jack to Owen, hugging Owen's legs tightly. "We're going to the swings!" "Oh yay" Owen said sarcastically as he took Alice's hand and led her away from the group. The three turned to face Jack with an expectant look, he grinned at them but when their glares got fiercer he swallowed. "Right then, let's go over to this bench and I'll explain it to you" Jack said hastily leading the trio to a nearby bench, they only got a few steps when an older woman grabbed Ianto by the arm. "I hope you're going to clean that mess up young man. A child or animal could get hurt from all that glass!" "Yes, yes of course" Ianto said quickly, Andy stepped back to join him. "I'll help, Gwen you can catch us up later" he said cheerfully. "Ok" Gwen said allowing Jack to drag her to the bench, she watched half amused as Andy and Ianto began to clumsily clean the glass and wine mess up, accidentally bumping heads or brushing fingers. Jack chuckled slightly too and the two of them sat down on the bench, Gwen's breathing took a hitch when Jack slid is hand into hers. She was scared that everything will change, that he'll no longer have her not because he didn't want her but he couldn't...because he was secretly married or something stupidly dramatic like that. "So...you're a father" she said breaking the silence. "Yeah" Jack said sheepishly. "Forgot to use a condom during a summer fling almost three years ago" "Plonker" she said immediately whacking him at the back of his head. "So, where's her mother?" "Italy, Lucia Moretti, her name was. She was a beautiful girl who spoke very good English, her father used to be the Italian ambassador in America, a good friend of my Dads... not any more though" Jack sighed. "Mr Moretti is a very old fashioned man and demanded me to marry Lucia, when both of us refused he told Dad that their friendship is no more, no friend would let his son blemish a friend's daughter's reputation or something like that. Mr Moretti was a strict catholic man, so when Alice was born he was going to send her for adoption, Dad and Mum interfered and took her back here and I've been raising her with the help of my parents and Owen ever since" "With the help of Owen? The poor girl" Gwen said worriedly. Jack flicked her forehead and chuckled. "Owen is really good with kids; he wants to be a doctor working with children who have terminal illness. Total softie at heart that git is" Gwen smiled fondly. "So does Lucia visit often?" she asked. Jack shook his head. "Her father forbids any contact with the Harkness family now. However I have her friend's email address and send photos and stories of Alice, so she's not left out" "That's sweet...does Alice know about her mother?" Jack shook his head. "She's too young to understand, right now she thinks all she needs is me, my parents and Owen. When she's a little older and realises she's missing a mother I'll tell her and get her in contact with Lucia but until then she knows nothing" "That's awful! No child should know nothing about their own family!" Jack sighed heavily. "I know Gwen, trust me I know. And before you start, because I know you will, I also know my constant girlfriend leaping would only confuse her, I wanted to find someone who I can be with long term" he turned his serious blazing stare to Gwen, it took a lot of self control to stop herself running from him or dragging him in for a heated snog. His blue eyes seemed to be on fire... "I've always fancied you but you were happy with Rhys and I didn't want to disturb a solid relationship for a fling. When I found out you were single I desperately wanted one date, just one, but we worked out so well and I really don't want us to separate. I was going to tell you after the exams...i want you to be part of mine and Alice's life" Gwen huffed. "That's emotional blackmail, you know?" she said. Jack clung tightly on her hand. "Is it working?" he asked. She quickly pecked his lips, again and again and again until it became a heated kiss between both of them. When the need to breathe struck them, they pulled away and she looked up at him with puffy red lips and a calm expression, she had made a decision that will affect the rest of her life. "Yes it's definitely working" she said huskily. "I want to meet Alice properly. If I'm going to be part of her life she needs to know my name and who I am to her and you" Jack grinned in a boyish way; he pulled Gwen up and began to walk hurriedly to the play park area. "Come on then, no time to waste, it's better sooner than later, why wait?" he said cheerfully, she couldn't help but laugh as he dragged her along the pavement and into the colourful play park. With bright yellow and red slides, green and blue swings and animal shaped seesaws. Owen looked a bit tired as he pushed Alice in her barred swing and darted quickly to the other side growling like a monster as he pushed her back. Alice was giggling loudly and clapping her hands for her 'Owen monster'; Jack firmly held the swing to a stop and picked Alice out of the swing holding her to him closely. "Alice baby, my little princess I want you to meet my big princess" Alice looked up at Gwen with her blue blinking eyes. Gwen felt a lump in her throat as she realised the little toddler had Jack's eyes. "Hello Alice" she said smiling. "I'm Gwen Cooper and you're Daddy's girlfriend" she held her hand out for her to shake, when she was a young child she hated being treated like one and wanted to be respected by adults, Alice however didn't mind being treated like a child as she took Gwen's hand and clung to it tightly. "Hello" she said grinning brightly. "Play with me, please! 'Ncle Owen won't anymore!" "I didn't say that" Owen grumbled, slightly upset at being replaced by Gwen. "But I could use a break and look for the two poofs, where did they vanish off to?" "Had to clean up some broken wine bottles" Jack said. "It must have been part of their picnic party, oh well I'll make it up to Yan by buying some more wine and we'll celebrate in style" "After Gwen takes me to slides!" Alice said sternly struggling out of Jack's grasp and reaching out for Gwen. Gwent felt her heart turn to melted butter as she stepped up and took the beautiful toddler out of Jack's arms and into her own. Alice was so warm and tiny, she smelt like baby powder and lavender and sweets, she was also the most beautiful little thing Gwen ever saw. If it was possible Gwen fell in love all over again with something so precious. The only negative emotions she felt was jealousy of Lucia Moretti for creating something so beautiful with Jack and a little resentment for her not daring to stand up to her father for Alice.
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