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He couldn't believe it, his mouth open as he watched her stride around the room shoving things into her bag.
"I'm sorry, I thought … I mean …this is just too much. Too much. We did talk, I did tell you from that very first date!" Lisa was almost unintelligible as she ranted, then swung to look at him "I know I am a bitch. A right royal bitch but I can't do it. I am sorry Ianto. Your sister's death is horrible, I am so sorry but those kids? Those little brats? I can NOT do this!"
Ianto looked down at the cruise tickets still sitting where she had thrown them with disgust, his hopes for a bonding trip to let her see that they were good kids, needed them and a good home … all going up in smoke.
"Ianto?"
He looked up at her morosely.
"Are you not going to say anything?" she demanded, her hands on her hips as the bags sat by the doors.
"They will be a bitch to unpack, you know you will need to steam them." Ianto said softly "Take the spare."
Her turn to gape as he rose and walked to the cupboard, pulling the steamer out and shoving it at her. She accepted it and stared at him "So … that's it? No fighting for me?"
"No"
"Ianto?"
Ianto sat back on the bed and looked at the picture of his sister and her two children smiling for the camera, taken less than a month ago at his birthday party. Taken that night. The last one.
He had to fight for those children now.
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"I don't know" Jack sighed as he shoved his drink back "I think this does not help"
"Look, you've been divorced for two years, she is moving on" Owen was getting bored with this "So she found someone new. So she's happy."
"But that's my kid!" Jack huffed "She can't just take her and move three day's travel away!"
"Jack, you and Lucinda can't stand each other, the fighting, bitching … it was not good for Alice. This is a good thing!" Owen tried again "This new bloke seems …well … nice. Alice likes him!"
Owen said the wrong thing, Jack rearing back to glare at him "And how do you know that?"
"They came into the travel agents and booked the same cruise as me and Tosh. We were at the next desk, they seemed happy." Owen chose words so carefully that Jack knew he was hiding something and leaned in.
"Spill!"
"Well … OK. They plan to get married on the cruise, OK? It's like a wedding and honeymoon all in one. Even invited us but Tosh made that sound she makes when she wants to poke someone's eye out. She was loyal to you mate. Honest!"
"And you?"
"Well … shit. I asked her where your ring was if she had his on now!" Owen slumped, "She looked like I had asked her if she folds or scrunches her loo paper or something."
"I have to get on that cruise" Jack said with finality, "I have to stop it. Make her see, we need to try harder for Alice. She needs both of us in her life, I can't do two weeks a fucking year or something."
"Booked out" Owen sighed "They got the last tickets, they said so at the time. There is no way in hell you can get onto that boat mate. Not spare ticket going anywhere!"
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"So … what will you do?" Tosh asked as she watched Ianto pour himself another liberal glass of wine.
"Fuck it. Go of course. The kids need something after all of this. Losing their parents, changing schools, towns, lives. I wish I could move to their house, let them have that at least but .. I am tied to this contract for two more fucking years. They have to leave their friends behind, their school, David's soccer team … what a mess. If nothing else … they will have a lovely cruise! Besides, it's your honeymoon too … we agreed to have fun and I will fucking well party 'til I puke!"
Tosh sighed softly as she watched her best friend slump, his face falling as he looked at the photos still scrunched in the bottom of the fire pit.
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Owen flopped onto the bed and sighed, Tosh turning on the light "He still going on about Lucy?"
"Yeah. I sort of slipped about the cruise" Owen admitted and Tosh groaned, then went still. Owen did not catch it and kept talking "He wants on it, thinks he can convince Lucy that they need to stay in the same time zone for Alice. I tried telling him the new guy was nice, Lucinda was happy but … he thinks he is losing Alice."
Tosh considered.
Why had she not seen it before?
"Jack is bi … right?"
"He likes to say omni, whatever the hell that means" Owen rolled to face her "Why?"
"I might know where there is a ticket" she said with increasing glee. "Maybe even a distraction."
Owen's eyes widened "Bullshit!"
"Oh boy" she started to giggle "This could be …"
"Epic?"