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fandomweekly2022-12-30 04:36 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2022-12-30 04:36 pm
Entry tags:
[#161] Better Late Than Never (Torchwood)
Theme Prompt: #161 – Homecoming
Title: Better Late Than Never
Fandom: Torchwood.
Rating/Warnings: PG / None
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Getting home can sometimes be more difficult than anticipated.
“Stupid technology!” Ianto grumbled. “We wouldn’t even be in this situation if the Doctor hadn’t swanned off and left his phone behind. Now, just when we could use a time machine, we can’t get in touch with him!”
“It’ll be fine, Ianto.” Jack did his best to calm his husband.
“How? We wanted to surprise everyone by being home for Christmas, and now thanks to a technological glitch, we’re going to be late!”
“Only by a few days.”
“Only? Those few days make a huge difference! Christmas will be over!” Ianto glanced at the chronometer that kept perfect earth time no matter where in the universe they happened to be. “Christmas Day is already over. So is Boxing Day, and the day after…” He hated sounding so petulant, but he’d really been looking forward to sitting down for Christmas dinner with his extended family: all the kids, their spouses and partners, the grandkids, the Fluffs, and a few assorted friends.
Caught up in extremely sensitive trade negotiations for several months, they hadn’t made it home since April, and even then their newest granddaughter had already been almost a month old. They’d both wanted to be there for little Emily’s first Christmas, had planned everything in advance, but they hadn’t allowed for problems with the vortex drive on their ship, which had malfunctioned less than hallway to earth, leaving them stranded.
Thankfully their distress signal was intercepted within four Galactic Hours by the space equivalent of the AA, and they’d been towed to Ghisenack Space Station, where they’d stayed for three days while the intricate drive mechanism was removed from their ship and replaced with an improved model.
Between repairs and the towing and docking fees it had cost them more than they would have liked, although less than it might have. For the duration of their stay, Oostravey, the station’s commander, had set them up in a palatial suite for free, saying she was honoured to have earth’s ambassadors aboard her humble station. She’d been quite charming company, showing them around, wining and dining them every night. It would have been a very pleasant interlude, if not for the fact that all they’d wanted was to get home.
At least they were on their way again now, several days behind schedule but less than a day’s travel from earth. The trouble with getting a new vortex drive fitted was that they couldn’t push it to the limit for the first ten-thousand light years, or it would void the warranty, so they’d been forced to travel slower than they otherwise would have. Jack might have chanced it if he’d been alone, but Ianto would not have approved such recklessness, and there was Nosy to think of. If they overtaxed the drive before it was fully charged by vortex travel, they could wind up anywhere.
“Look on the bright side,” Jack said. “We’ll be home in time for New Year, and we can stay for a few months, at least until after Emily’s first birthday.”
“We were going to do that anyway. I was looking forward to turkey and all the trimmings. It’s not that I don’t enjoy alien food, but this is the second year in a row we’ve had to go without Christmas dinner. I miss it. Mince pies, Christmas pudding…” Ianto trailed off, forcing himself not to pout.
“Hummmmm,” Nosy added mournfully.
“Yes, sprouts too,” Ianto agreed. They were among the Fluff’s favourite foods.
“I’m sure there’ll still be sprouts, and mince pies,” Jack assured his husband and their friend.
“Won’t be the same though, will it?”
“Maybe not, but we’ll still get to see everyone, and isn’t that the most important part?”
“You’re right.” Ianto did his best to set aside his disappointment. “Family is more important than roast turkey. There’ll be other Christmases, and it will be good to see everybody.”
“That’s the spirit!”
A little over eight hours later, Jack piloted their ship to land at the Torchwood Spaceport, formerly known as Flat Holm Island, where they took a hovercraft back to shore, leaving it at the Torchwood dock, once called Roath Basin. By now, Torchwood owned most of the docklands area; Cardiff was one of the main centres of trade with other planets.
Stopping off briefly at the flat where they’d raised their four children getting on for forty years earlier, they showered and changed, delighting in an actual water shower for the first time in months. Getting in their personal vehicle, they headed along the coast to Caldicot, where Meriel and her husband had settled in a rambling farmhouse on the edge of what was still a small and quite picturesque market town.
It was where the whole family tended to congregate for the festive season, travelling in from various parts of Wales. Aside from Jack and Ianto, the Harkness-Jones family had never quite managed to leave the country of their birth. Even those who’d left for university had always found their way back within a few years of graduating. They were proud of their Welsh heritage.
Despite the chilly weather, by the time they pulled into the driveway the entire clan was already outside waiting for them, alerted by the family Fluffs, who’d been aware of their approach since they’d left Cardiff. Fluffs could sense other Fluffs over quite long distances through their empathic bonds.
“Dad! Tad!” Meriel shouted, hurrying towards them, but as always, it was Nosy she hugged first. “Oh, we’ve missed you all!” Turning to her parents, she hugged them quickly before stepping aside to let everyone else have a turn while the Fluffs and Flufflets practically tied themselves in happy knots in the middle of the paved driveway.
“We tried to get home for Christmas, but we had some mechanical problems enroute,” Ianto explained, hugging his youngest daughter, Rhosyn, before hugging Rosie’s wife, Meg, who was holding baby Emily.
“You’re here now.” Gareth took Meg’s place, hugging his Tad. “Nothing else matters.”
Ianto smiled. “It’s good to be home.”
The End
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Maybe this year they will celebrate Christmas together ;)
(if the prompt will allow it )
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Thank you!
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You're welcome. Finally got around to devote done reading time here.
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Finding time for reading can be hard.
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Thank you!