oops ... don't know why it did that...fixed now

1

Jack was seeking Ianto and he headed for the library but still saw no sign bar the pots of colour opened on the floor. The many test pots had been an excited find, boxes of them every colour under the sun and Ianto had snatched a basket full before retreating and letting the children loose on them.

Jack considered the dark wood shelving and the silent book spines that bore nothing, then looked up. Ianto was standing at the top of the shelving, his hand holding fast to the top shelf as he reached as far as he could, the brush tip reaching into the middle of the narrow corridor the shelving created and he was dabbing paint, with his tongue between his teeth.

Now many people would look up and be transfixed by the sight of a man twenty feet in the air but Jack unfortunately was prone to voicing shock and his barked cry of Ianto's name startled the young man as well.

Ianto scrambled to maintain purchase but the surprise had jolted him and he knew he was falling even as he yelped and tried to save himself. Jack ran to catch him and they landed in a heap on the floor, limbs tangled and a paintbrush of bright blue paint smearing across Jack's cheek as they lay there giggling helplessly.

"You bloody arsehat" Ianto laughed, "what the hell were you thinking startling me."

"I was thinking that you might fall" Jack replied as he helped Ianto to his feet.

"Well bully for you, appears I did" Ianto retorted, his eyes alive with humour and Jack pulled him in to kiss him then release him to look up.

"Wow"

Ianto had been painting all day, the thoughts of the recon troubling him and he had done what he always did when chewing on something, did several other things as well. Not only was the burn pile large, the gaps had been formed to house some lovely pieces of crap that looked perfect and the footholds created were spaced evenly for Ianto's long legs.

The roof was a blaze of colours. Ianto had been around most of the stacks painting the roof between each so it looked like a river of colour flowing over their heads, flowers and leaves… little paper boats… a fish here and there, the ripples like water… perfect. Jack walked slowly around the room moving around each shelving unit with his mouth open as he followed this river to their room where it gave way to a realistic waterfall down the stack of encyclopaedias. Then he saw the roof of their bedroom had not been untouched, stars and a moon creeping over them.

"Glow in the dark paint" Ianto pointed, "Not every star, but like…every third or fourth so in the darkness we have the milky way."

"Ianto… it's wonderful" Jack grinned.

"Mica's spot next." Ianto pointed to the nook, "The books either side are nothings so I can paint them like the waterfall. Gonna do a tree trunk so she is a little sprite living in there with a little open door and everything… maybe some pots of colour. Gonna do the inside with some little fairies that glow in the dark and stuff."

"Sounds wonderful" Jack grinned.

"She is too small to know the Mara are not as cute as people think, we need not let her know that there are things on this planet as dangerous as those introduced, right?" Ianto canted his head as he winked, "you know what I mean. Rose petals."

Jack nodded as he shook of the chill and pulled Ianto in, liking the warm body, "What next? Gonna paint some ivy on the outside to hide us? No… we can do the outside in Cammo. Right?"

Ianto laughed as he kissed Jack, his hands running over Jack's sides lovingly and Jack sighed into Ianto's mouth.

"I don't want to think of the recon, I want to… get lost for a while" Ianto said as he rubbed his thumb over the drying paint slash with open affection.

"Well … we could have a picnic up top? A tea party? The kids would love the idea and they can help get ready while we dress up?" Jack suggested, "One perfect moment, a perfect memory so no matter what happens they can see we are all going to be OK as a family."

"Perfect" Ianto smiled as he pulled back to look up again, "Not too much?"

"I love it!" Jack assured him, "Like the void of space but also the deep blue. Love it."

"Me too" Ianto smiled.

Jack thought about the picnic ahead as he kissed Ianto once more for luck and went in search of the children.

As an afterthought, he sought Gwen too.

She might like to be mother.