Deny Me Not

Summary: It wasn't supposed to be like this, but his flaky sister had abruptly backed out of their surrogacy agreement at the last moment and Ianto is left with a newborn that he is in no position to care for. Janto, AU, Mpreg.

A/N: This is a Torchwood Rewrite of the Novel, " Staking His Claim" by Tessa Radley. I changed a few things around to match the characters. This story is considered an AU. I do not own the concept of "Staking His Claim" or Torchwood. They belong to their respective creators and not me. This story is for entertainment purposes only and I am merely borrowing.

Warnings: This story contains MPreg. If you do not like it, please do not read.

Enjoy the Story!

Chapter 5

Bringing the baby home had to have been the most ill-considered thing he'd ever done, Ianto decided this hours ago when light began to shine through the curtains telling him it was already the start of the next morning.

He'd given up trying to get the baby to sleep after a night spent mixing formula, warming bottles and not even a wink of sleep. A glance at the clock on the wall revealed that it was already 07:30 in the morning. Normally he'd already be in the coffee shop waiting on customers while sipping at his own cup made from fragrant, personally hand-ground blend he favored, it was a must to kick-start his day. One he was quite happy to have back.

But this morning he hadn't even moved off of the sofa... much less thought about coffee.

Ianto was exhausted.

But it was worth it...

He'd refused to allow Jack to all but kidnap the baby and take it away with him. Once that happened Ianto knew Jack would never let the baby go. The only way to stop that from happening had been to take the baby home himself... and the sacrifice was probably going to kill him.

At the very least, it was going to break what was left of his heart.

He rose an eyebrow and gazed wearily at the tiny girl-monster lying next to him on the couch. " Don't you think it's time for a nap?"

The baby stared at him with round, wide-awake eyes. He guessed the answer was no.

Ianto sighed.

He really had no idea what he was doing besides what a nurse scribbled down in his journal before he left the hospital. At least the baby wouldn't starve to death; the little monster just finished a bottle. Yet it had only reinforced how much Ianto didn't know. After all, he hadn't attended the parenting classes or read any of the books on raising a child during his pregnancy because that had been Gwen's department. He only read the manuals about the dos and don'ts for the period for growing the baby, none of which were of any help now.

Thankfully he'd called an agency to engage a nanny before leaving the hospital yesterday. The agency hadn't been able to send someone at once, and Ianto wished he hadn't been so hasty in telling Jack that he was taking the baby home, but pride hadn't let him back down.

His thought at the time had been; how much trouble could a baby be?

He closed his eyes and thought about the past night... trouble hadn't even begun to describe the experience!

And after today there were still eight days to go before he could sign the adoption consent.

Ianto didn't even want to contemplate it.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at the baby, who was now wiggling her legs. Ianto knew his biggest challenge was going to be maintaining a healthy distance from this child. He didn't need to forming an attachment to a child that he wasn't going to keep. He'd hoped that the baby would spend most of the time asleep; because that was what happened most of the time in the hospital.

But taking last night into consideration it certainly didn't play out like Ianto had thought.

Since they'd gotten back home to Ianto cozy flat, most of the baby's waking time had been spent in his arms. It seemed to have forgotten what sleep was entirely. Ianto had walked her up and down for what had to have been the whole night... to no avail.

His cell phone beeped.

The messages had started from early this morning. Messages from people he didn't even want to think about right now. People who didn't know that the baby had arrived on Friday. He knew he'd have to answer them eventually, but right now he was too tired to move... or to even think.

Except sleep... that was one thing he could do. The one thing he wanted to do.

The baby chose that moment to burp.

As tired as he was, it was impossible not to smile. Ianto forced his face straight. This was not the way to maintain a healthy distance. He shifted his attention back to his cell phone. Another message beep through.

Then it rang.

It was the childcare agency he'd contacted yesterday to let him know a nanny had been dispatched. He killed the call and sighed with relief. Wrinkling his nose at the baby girl in his arms he muttered, " Sleep is on it's way."

Not even fifteen minutes later the nanny arrived. The nanny turned out to be a bit shorter than him and a man by the name of Owen Harper. And within half an hour he'd restored order, unexpectedly leaving Ianto feeling a bit inadequate. He was used to making decisions and dispensing advice, but as far as babies were concerned he was a rookie. It was hard to accept how inept he was. Explaining the situation to Owen had also proved to be difficult; so, too, the fact that the baby didn't even have a name. Yet Owen hadn't even blinked at his confession.

It made Ianto wonder what it would take to faze the other man.

Obviously a lot more than a baby created for a couple who'd decided to give her up... and a surrogate who avoided cuddling her.

With Owen taking care of the baby now he made his way to his out-of-work-office towards the back of his flat and closed the door. Once barricaded in a familiar space, Ianto struggled to concentrate. He sat at his desk trying not to freak. As little as he wanted to admit it, having the baby not only changed his body, but in mere days the infant was changing his life.

His red laptop sat on the smooth, dark green desk in front of him. Ianto flipped it open. He knew he should message back a few of the people who contacted him, but he just ended up staring blindly at the computer screen in front of him. Against his will he found himself using Google to search " baby names" and faced with pages of websites. Most popular girls' names of the seventies... eighties... nineties... noughties... and beyond.

There were websites for flower names, for seasonal names, for foreign names. How was he supposed to choose. He clicked on seasonal names.

Crystal. Merry. Noelle.

He clicked over to another page.

October. Autumn, Saffron.

Another click.

Sunny. Storm.

Ianto clicked back to the first page, to the names of Winter.

Or... Snow.

The sound of the doorbell was an unwelcome interruption. Scant seconds later the door to his office burst open, and an even more unwelcome male presence filled the doorway.

" You've hired a nanny!"

Determined not to give Jack more advantage than surprise had already awarded the man, Ianto shut the computer lid and rose to his feet. Swearing silently as he noticed just by how much Jack towered over him.

" Of course I have." Ianto met the other mans outraged gaze as calmly as he was able. " I have a job to get back to."

" You're due leave."

Ianto shook his head. " I work for myself, so any leave I take is scheduled long in advance. This time I only allowed myself a few days off." And that had been next week when the baby was supposed to have arrived; not long before Christmas. " Anyways I wasn't keeping the baby, remember? So I certainly didn't need the leave." And now, since Gwen's bombshell, Ianto knew he definitely didn't want to be sitting around with time to think.

Ianto could see Jack's eyes glittering with disbelief. " And none of that has changed since bringing the baby home?"

Ianto struggled with emotion, but he couldn't figure out which one it was. But they always said, Attack is the best form of defense. Right?

" Was it supposed to, Jack?" Ianto had to wonder if he actually just growled at the other man. " I have to support myself. I can only imagine what you'd say about a woman or another carrier who planned to be back at work, then take several months off instead."

Jack blinked, and Ianto saw the truth of his argument register.

" Maybe." Then he added. " But I would have understood. Eventually." Jack put his hands on his hips and rose an eyebrow. " And that argument doesn't apply here; you are your own boss."

" Which means that I can't just disappear. I need to carefully plan the times away and arrange for someone to cover for me." And most important, he wanted to avoid becoming too attached to the child. " I want to go back to my shop."

" When exactly do you plan to do that?"

" As soon as I can." Ianto didn't say " tomorrow," which was what he fully intended; so as long as his body obliged and the fatigue that was starting to make him dizzy wasn't too much of a factor.

" And dump the child you haven't even given a name to on the nanny?"

Ianto stifled a yawn. " Snow will be perfectly happy with Owen."

" Snow? Snow?" Jack reared back. " You've named the baby?"

" Obviously."

Jack looked surprised. " Just now? To prove me wrong?"

" Not to prove you wrong! I picked her name earlier." He wasn't admitting to those minutes of scouring websites; after all, he couldn't even fathom what had driven him to do a Google search for baby names. It was all a bit too uncomfortable to absorb. And why did Jack think he'd done it merely to prove him wrong? Let him think it was an arbitrary name plucked out of the air. " You shouldn't assume an importance you don't have in my life."

But instead of causing Jack to puff up with annoyance as he'd intended, his comment made the other man laugh.

" Bravo," he said.

Ianto stared. Tiredness must be causing him to become befuddled. Because with Jack's white teeth flashing and laugh lines; which he'd never noticed before; crinkling around his eyes, he caused Ianto's breath to hitch in his throat. In the wickedly sparkling eyes, Ianto got a glimpse of his appeal. This must be the reason so many hung around him like bees around a honey pot.

The man looked devastating.

And all because Ianto had tried to put him in his place!

He couldn't help smiling back.

But Jack's next words wiped the smile off of his face.

" I came here expecting to find you begging me to take her away." Jack's eyes grew cloudy." I should've known you'd hire a nanny."

Jack expected him to fail at the first hurdle.

That stung!

Because even though he'd hired a nanny to keep the baby at a distance, deep in his heart he knew Jack was right. He had failed. He was dangerously ignorant about babies, and it didn't help that his ignorance came because he had never truly intended to have children of his own. It only served as a reminder of his secret, deeply held conviction that he would make a terrible parent.

Mostly Jack's criticism stung because the truth of it was Ianto wasn't accustomed to failure. Whatever task he undertook he saw through to the bitter end.

And arranging for the baby's adoption would be no different; once he'd had a good-nights rest and gotten himself back to normal.

But Jack only saw a man he didn't particularly like, and wrote him off as useless. But right now, he was too tired to get into one of their usual fiery exchanges.

" Didn't you come to see Snow?" Ianto asked exhausted, but calmly.

" Thanks to the nanny, she's probably been fed at least."

Annoyance surfaced, exacerbated by the mind-numbing weariness. Did Jack believe he would neglect the baby? Just because he didn't want the child didn't mean that he'd ever see it harmed. No, not it... her. Snow was a little girl. Ianto sighed inwardly. It was hard enough to keep his distance to stop an attachment forming; he didn't need Jack's cruel barbs. " I looked after her all night. The nanny only just arrived."

" Then I better go check on her."

Ianto ground his teeth, and turned his head to stare blindly at the wall. Unable to help himself he blurted out, " None of the intending parents' profiles Toshiko Sato left at the hospital fit what I'm looking for."

It got so quiet, he thought Jack must've already gone, that he hadn't heard him.

That might be for the best.

He turned his head slightly, glancing over his shoulder.

Jack stood as unmoving as a marble statue he had outside his coffee shop's threshold, his eyes determined, hungry and intent.

Waiting.

This was what he'd wanted to know, wasn't it? But Ianto refused to hold out for false hope. " Tosh has already brought me another batch of portfolios for me to look at. There should be at least one set of suitable parents there."

" You're choosing them tonight?"

He shook his head, flinching inwardly at the thought of what lay ahead. Glimpses into the lives of strangers desperate for a baby. And not just any baby; the baby he had helped create.

More hopeful faces would smile out of the pages at him; with carefully picked words detailing their dreams. Each set of parents hoping they would be the chosen ones. And if he liked more than one set, it would only get harder. After meeting the couples, he'd have to choose one couple over the other. Right now he didn't want to think about the mountain that lay ahead.

" I'll do it tomorrow." Ianto turned away from the intensity that radiated from Jack and back to staring at the wall.

A moment later his footsteps receded. After the door closed softly behind him, Ianto's shoulders sagged. He sat down at his desk; flipped his laptop open again and downsized the internet window to look at his schedule.

For the next few minutes, he'd see what appointments among other things he could reschedule... then... then he'd got see what Jack was doing. See if he could hurry him along. Once Jack left he'd be able to relax. He'd go lie down in his bedroom.

And welcome the sleep his body craved.

/

Jack pushed the door to Ianto's office open with the flat palm of his hand and reentered the room. One glance caused him to pause.

The icicle had fallen asleep.

He crossed the room with silent steps, his footfalls muffled by the pile of pale gray carpet until he stood beside the sofa.

Yet, instead of an icicle's cold clinical perfection, Ianto's skin held a shockingly rosy flush. His hair untamed and curling at the ends, his slicked back business style nowhere in evidence.

He looked younger. Peaceful. Approachable.

Jack blinked the illusion away.

Ianto's laptop lay beneath one arm, angled and in danger of toppling off of the desk. He'd been working. Of course he had.

What had he expected?

That Ianto would be at least a bit mothering? He suppressed a snort of disgust. The baby was where he'd just left her; in the arms of the nanny. His lips pursed, he held the laptop as he lifted it's owner's arm and placed the laptop in a better location. Turning back, he took in the uncomfortable way Ianto was draped across his desk. His feet hooking around the chair, one arm dangling off the side of the desk and his body skewed in a way that one of his cheeks were pressed against a shelf. It definitely did not look comfortable.

Bending over, Jack untangled Ianto's feet carefully before lifting the Welshman into his arms. He looked around the office finding a brown leather couch off to the side and placed the sleeping man there. Instantly Ianto's feet slid over the edge. Jack stilled, fearing that he might waken. But Ianto didn't even stir.

The way Ianto was twisting his body suggested he was going to wake with a horrible crick in his neck for sure. Jack didn't know why it was bothering him, but he couldn't leave him like this. When he'd first arrived, he'd looked tired with gray shadows rimming his expressive eyes. Leaving aside his lack of motherly instincts, Ianto had been through a lot in the past few days. He'd given birth to the baby that his sister had given up. He'd had to cope with deciding the baby's future.

He must be worn out.

The first flicker of unwilling sympathy for Ianto stirred within him.

He might not agree with the decisions Ianto was planning, but he could appreciate how stressful it must be. He knelt and scooped the sleeping man up against his chest. Ianto made a tiny sound, his long lashes fluttering against his cheeks before he snuggled into the warmth radiating from Jack.

The man in his arms smelt of something sweet.

Honey and cinnamon.

Jack bit back a curse, catching himself before he could nuzzle Ianto's neck.

Straightening to his full height he strode out of the dull office and towards the end of the carpeted corridor, where a door stood ajar. With one foot, he knocked it wide to reveal what was clearly the main bedroom in the cozy flat.

What a difference.

While everywhere else in the house dominated dull and boring, Ianto's bedroom held life and excitement. Holding Ianto against him, he let his eyes travel around.

A large king-sized bed decked out in blood red satin sheets and soft fluffy pillows dominated the room. Paintings of bright beautiful landscapes hanging on ebony colored walls. He let a smile grace his face.

This wasn't anything like he expected, given the brisk business exterior Ianto Jones presented to the world.

He entered the bedroom.

Instantly he was enveloped in a mist of honey and cinnamon scent; the scent he was fast coming to associate with Ianto. Gently Jack laid him down on the red satin covered bed, then stepped back. He could hear him softly breathing. Deep and even through slightly parted pink lips. Lips that held him enthralled.

Just one kiss... and he could waken.

The idea was ridiculous, bit it persisted. Sense warred with temptation. Until, at last, Jack succumbed to the tantalizing temptation and placed the palm of his hand against Ianto's cheek and bent forward. The billionaire placed the softest of kisses on the sleeping man's lips before jerking back, his color high and feeling unaccountably foolish.

Ianto didn't stir.

He'd gotten the legend wrong; Ianto wasn't sleeping beauty; and instead of waking, the Ice Queen slept on.

/

It was already Tuesday, Gwen and Grey had departed for Africa; without changing their minds about the baby. It had taken all Ianto's willpower not to scream at his sister that she was making the biggest mistake of her life.

To Ianto's intense relief, Snow had already survived four full days and nights, and Ianto himself had managed to keep from becoming too attached to the newborn.

But this evening Owen had the night off. It had been something planned and that he couldn't get out of even before the agency had sent him, Ianto have waved off Owen's snarky version of apologies and told him to have fun.

Snow was sleeping peacefully in her cot upstairs. The speaker for the baby monitor laid on top a pile of Gwen's old magazines she'd left here sometime a month back.

With Owen gone, Ianto shut the front door and took advantage of the solitude. He was busily manhandling a huge, cut-pine Christmas tree into the corner of the living room, when the doorbell chimed.

He bit back a curse. No chance but to set the tree down... and undo all the progress he'd made in the past few minutes.

Impatient, he wrenched open the door.

Jack stood on the doorstep, every inch the city billionaire, immaculate in a dark, conservative business suit and a blue shirt that still managed to look crisp at the end of the day.

" May I come in?"

Before Ianto could respond, he'd brushed past him. Irritation spiked through him at his high-handedness.

Ianto's voice heavy with irony, he muttered, " Sure you can."

Jack turned and grinned. " Thank you."

The flash of that wolfish smile, the gleam of wicked laughter in his eyes, indicated that he was fully mindful of his irritation. Ianto couldn't halt the unfurling awareness that bloomed through him, starting deep in his chest and spreading outward in a glowing warmth.

This man was dynamite.

And he didn't even like him. He was obnoxious, arrogant, inconsiderate. So why the melting heat in the pit of his stomach? Why wasn't he recoiling and making snide comments? What the hell was wrong with him? Ianto drew in a deep breath and was instantly flooded with a calming aroma of sandalwood, must be his aftershave.

Ianto shook his head and slowly let out the breath he'd been holding. " Snow is sleeping," he muttered as Jack brushed past him into the living room.

His response had nothing to do with the baby. " You're putting up a Christmas tree?"

Really, did he have to sound so surprised?

" Yes."

Guilt stabbed Ianto. He wasn't about to reveal that it was the first time in the five years he'd lived here that he'd done so. Or that most of the reason why he'd ordered a tree to be delivered stemmed from his barbed comments about Snow enduring her first Christmas alone. Becoming aware of the lack of festive cheer in his home had not been a welcome discovery.

" I almost had it in position... but then the doorbell rang." He gestured to where the tree lay unknowingly pouting. " Now I'll have to start all over again."

Jack strode across to where the tree lay. " I'll give you a hand and we'll have it up in minutes."

" Shouldn't you still be at work?" He bit off the comment about 'making his next million.'

Jack had walked around to the far side of the tree. Now he shot one immaculate shirt cuff back to glance at a flat black watch on his wrist. " 17:00. I've had enough for one day; boss's prerogative. I wanted to see Snow."

Ianto refused to let that sentiment tug at hidden heartstrings.

Instead he inspected the dark, formal suit he wore and decided it must be french, while he tried to ignore the effect the broad shoulders tapering down to a well fitted waist had on him. " What about your suit? You'll get resin all over it."

He reek of pine forest for months to come. Ianto doubted dry cleaning would get rid of the overpowering smell of pine. It would kill that sexy, seductive scent Jack wore so well.

Ianto's lips tilted up in secret amusement.

" What are you smiling at?"

He sounded so suspicious that Ianto's smile broadened. Jack would find out soon enough. He slanted to other man an impish look. " Nothing."

Jack rose an eyebrow at the Welshman. " Somehow I don't believe that at all. You're plotting."

" You have an over-suspicious mind."

" Do you blame me? I know exactly what you are."

Ianto's smile vanished and his eyes narrowed.

" There's no point in your staying. Snow's sleeping." Ianto had had enough of Jack's unwarranted opinions. Now he just wanted him to leave. Before he tempted him to laugh with him... and then he wounded him again. Ianto wanted him gone.

But before he could turn and walk to the front door to show Jack on his way, he asked. " Have you reached a decision on the new set of portfolios Toshiko Sato showed you?"

He'd only come to influence; make that sabotage; his decision.

It was his own fault for giving in and revealing he hadn't selected any couples from the first batch of candidates. He'd been overtired... not thinking properly... reacting with his emotions rather than his head. And look where it had gotten him; Jack hounding him.

Ianto headed for the door and opened it. " Once I reach a final decision I'll let you know. Then you can decide if you want to stay in touch with the baby and her new family. Thank you for visiting."

Even from across the room, he saw Jack's face fall.

He really wanted to see the baby, he realized.

The considerations that had led him to update him about the progress on the adoption proceedings yesterday returned. Jack was the only blood relative who was showing any interest in the baby; he deserved to be kept in the picture. This would be an open adoption. Tosh was insistent that adoptive children needed ties with their birth relatives. Those ties to family helped children grow up secure, with a healthy sense of self and identity.

Ianto recognized that he needed to set aside his own antagonism towards the man... and only think of the baby.

As much as Snow needed contact with her birth carrier, it would be to her advantage to know her birth father... and her uncle. Having a clear sense of identity would help her to stay intact as an individual as she grew up.

Even though Ianto considered Jack Harkness to be the most arrogantly selfish man on the face of the planet, for Snow's sake, he had to recognize that Jack's desire to visit Snow was a blessing.

From his position at the door, Ianto relented a little. " You can come back when Snow is awake."

But Jack showed no sign of hearing. He'd already shrugged off his jacket and put it on the sofa. " I said I'd help you with the tree."

So he was determined to stay; and ignore his wishes. Why had he ever imagined he might persuade him otherwise?

He didn't want to be stuck alone with Jack making small talk. Nor did he want him putting up the Christmas tree he'd bought for Snow. And he certainly didn't want to start thinking he was helpful. Or, god help him, indispensable.

" You know, I really don't need, " nor want " your help."

All too aware of how much more defined the other man in the room was with his jacket off, Ianto didn't dare allow his treacherous eyes to linger on the lean narrow hips, the broad chest clad only in the soft, finest cotton shirt with the top button unbuttoned. Far to tempting and Ianto was tempted. " And don't forget to take your jacket with you when you go."

The sooner Jack put it back on, the sooner he'd be able to visualize his as the corporate American bully he knew once more.

Leaning on the door handle, Ianto shut his eyes to black out the image of Jack standing in his living room rolling up his shirt sleeves. How was it possible to be attracted to a man he detested?

What the hell is wrong with me?

End of Chapter 5