Chap 1
A new routine had settled in within the firehouse. Ianto was a stay at home Mom with unlimited babysitting hours up his sleeve.
He dearly love his little niece and Aurora-Lee may only be six months old but the little miss had worked out who the real soft touch was.
With the children at school and Rhia enjoying afternoons to herself, Ianto found himself immersed in nappies and drool cloths once more. And he loved it.
Jack came in from a meeting to find his gorgeous man asleep on the floor. Ianto and Aurora-Lee were snuggled up on the fur rug, a DVD running on the TV.
He took a few pictures to send off the then laid down, snuggling in to take a selfie with them.
A soft snort warned him that he was rumbled and Jack pouted until an arm came up to welcome him into the hug.
By the time Rhia and Gray arrived with the horde the two men has fed and bathed the little girl and she was asleep in Ianto's arms.
"Hey there Uncle Incredible" Rhia crowed as she took a moment to watch her brother and daughter as they adored each other.
The evening meal was also amazing, Ianto's slow cooker proving the catalyst for a beef stew that could not be beat.
This arrangement of babysitting and evening meals was not only spoiling Rhia and it was also giving Ianto more time with the baby that he was growing more attached to each day.
As the meal dishes were cleared away from desert Gray leaned back in his chair to watch Ianto limp through from the kitchen to the dining table.
The limp was the only reminder of the fall growing less evident with time, Ianto was determined to make a full recovery. He looked up and caught Gray looking so he smiled softly.
"God! I'll be happy when she's weaned!" Rhia moaned as she finished breastfeeding and Gray snorted.
"She needs your goodness, love. A baby that wasn't breastfed is so much more likely to be a sickly, grizzly child with no self-esteem" Gray informed her as Ianto froze halfway to the table.
Walter has been listening and he frowned as he thought about what his Uncle had said and as Ianto resumed his walk he tried to mask his anger. Jack looked up from a conversation with Mica in time to see a glimpse of rage on Ianto's face before it smoothed over. Jack looked around the table to see who had upset his love.
"Taddy?" Walter said softly and Ianto groaned.
"Uncle Gray was not talking about you hon, he means babies who don't get lots of cuddles and encouragement" Ianto answered and Jack frowned.
"What's this?" Jack joined the conversation and Ianto looked at his sister who was still gaping at her fiancé.
"I was just saying that a child who wasn't breastfed is likely to be a whiney little kid with self-esteem issues" Gray repeated with a snort, reaching for one of the chocolate mousse in Ianto's hands.
Ianto looked at him for a moment and pulled his hand back, "You take that back!"
"What?" Gray laughed.
"I was not breastfed as Mam lost her milk over the shock of losing my twin and Walt wasn't either because his mother was …" Ianto leaned in and made eye contact with Gray, "Dead!"
Gray finally realised the quicksand he had leapt into and looked to Jack for support only to find a face like thunder.
"Apologise! Ianto and Walter are beautiful, clever and intelligent. Ianto had a doctorate in literature by the time he was fifteen. Walter is top of his class and as healthy as a bloody horse" now Jack was getting angry, rising from his chair to loom over his brother.
"Jack, he didn't mean anything. He didn't realise he was insulting me" Ianto said softly.
"Shit! Sorry, I forgot" Gray whimpered and Jack settled back into his chair.
"Yeah, well. Don't forget again" Jack huffed.