1

Gwen was laughing as she lamped Jack on the shoulder and he yelped, rubbing at it as she turned away, "Cocky bastard!"

"Oi, you asked for that mate!" Owen laughed as he watched Gwen reach for a file on the meeting table and Ianto entered with the tray of mugs, stopping everyone as they rushed to sit like children caught by the headmaster.

"So? What did I miss?" Ianto asked and Owen snorted.

"Jack was making lewd comments about Gwen's father's veggie patch and she thumped him" Tosh said and she watched Ianto's eye twitch, then he smiled.

"Ah yes, his Parsnips, right?" Ianto enquired and she grinned as she showed him the photo on her phone of the prize winning vegetables.

"Lovely, tell him I am impressed" Ianto said softly, "Mine did no good this year, not enough time spent on them I guess."

"Time spent" Owen snorted, "You just grow them, right?"

"Thinning, watering..the right soil…lots of things to consider" Ianto shrugged.

"Well, they are coming at the weekend, you know Dad would love to see the boys" Gwen smiled happily, "I told them about the terrible time you had with the nanny, they were so sorry to hear things didn't work out."

"Well, things happen for a reason" Ianto smiled politely as the team all frowned at Gwen and her weird way she had decided what had happened had been Anna, not her. She claimed an innocent confusion and the bug helped her case. The fact that Ianto seemed to have accepted things was what finally made everyone decide to let it go.

But Tosh watched her like a hawk now.

Owen liked the way Ianto seemed to freak Gwen out though, the way she would suddenly pale and look like she was gonna puke. He tried to ask her but she would always look at him like he was making it up. He couldn't prove it, but he had that feeling Ianto had done something to her. He had even covertly checked her bloods for Retcon but there had been nothing.

"Well, I shall have to check their diaries" Ianto said and she giggled as she rolled her eyes.

"How is your Mam's foot?" Ianto continued to speak as he placed the mugs down and she told them all about her mother's bunion, a vivid reminder of the wedding from hell about to finally happen as the final preparations began.

"Oh Ianto!" Gwen said suddenly, "You were right. The purple was clashy with my fuchsia, I went with a soft lilac dress for her instead, she looks lovely in it."

"Good" Ianto nodded, "Now if you will all excuse me, someone will be waiting for me at pre-school" Ianto went to leave and Jack rose from this chair calling him back, "Sir?"

"Any chance of a bye-bye kiss?" Jack pouted and Ianto's' face softened as he leaned over Gwen to kiss Jack tenderly, then he walked out. Jack stood for a few moments then sighed and sat, "He does like your mother."

"I was so grateful for him coming in to help with the finer details, I had no idea so much was involved" Gwen sighed.

"Well, now he's only part time and has time when Jay is asleep to cruise the websites I think he is quite enjoying the whole wedding thing" Jack smiled, "Ours was so low key. Maybe now it's legal we should look at a vow renewal or something."

"Josh is still loving his school?" Tosh asked and Jack nodded, "And Jay? Not pining for him while he's gone?"

"The first few days he seemed to worry for him, then I think he worked out that he always came back" Jack smiled, "Ianto is loving being a stay-at-home Tad. Jay is so forward. With Josh finishing at 1pm it means the afternoons are just for them."

"I can't wait for me and Rhys to have one" Gwen said happily, "He better be ready for the wedding night, I'm gonna wreak him."

Owen choked on his coffee as Tosh patted his back and Jack blinked at her crassness.

A lot had changed since the Hitchhiker had taken Gwen and made such a mess of everything and Jack was just pleased that things seemed to have some order to it now. At least the fact they had not taken Retcon hadn't changed things like he had been worried it might.

Ianto was being pleasant, accepting of his decisions and he knew he had to step up more as both a leader and a partner. Ianto was doing his part by accepting his decision; he needed to do his part by making sure his decision to keep Gwen was the right one. At least she didn't see to see him as a romantic interest anymore.

In fact, of he didn't know any better it was like she saw him more as a brother.

Gods, but she thumped his shoulder a lot these days.

Jack wondered if it was the fact Ianto's Grandparents were in the picture now that Ianto had let things lie. Pretend he was forgiven too.

They seemed to give him strength.