1

The buggy was more like a car with a handle and it was doing Ianto's head in no end.

Bright red, monster wheels and an overly excited child clutching at the little wheel looked as crazed and manic as his Daddy they were going to meet up with. Ianto glanced down in time to see the little tot once again wrench the wheel as if trying to ram the car into a passing pedestrian and he was again pleased it was only a pretend wheel and Quinn could not really control the vehicle or there would have been several hit and runs already.

As they passed the subject of his ire the little one leaned out to look back, craning his head, then sitting back with a huff of air as he clutched the wheel for another go.

"Pop really knew how to get to his little man's heart" Ianto muttered as the child's face lit up, a woman now wandering across the walk ahead with a little dog on a leash. Quinn gave a small snarl as they passed and to Ianto's horror actually reached out to snag the leash, then slapped his hands on the car's side to see if they had got the dog.

Bugger.

You could see it on his face, clear as day that he was disappointed that another victim had survived the afternoon massacre he had dreamed of.

"What has you all pissed at the world my love" Ianto sighed, finally reaching the café and turning the vehicle to manoeuvre it up through the doorway. Then as he was jiggling it there was help and it was lofted at the front and slid through. Ianto looked up to thank his husband only to find a man he had never seen in his life was now crouched to coo to the little toddler and admire the carriage.

"Well now, this looks lovely. I bet this didn't come from around here" he said as he reached out to touch Quinn but he shied away as Ianto yanked the carriage back.

"Quinn doesn't like mollycoddling" Ianto warned, "He had particular ways. Quite the little man."

The man rose to look at Ianto and he knew it was the accent. Although he had lived in America for …. Hell …. Eighteen months? No. That long? Well … Quinn was about nine months old now so… wow. Ianto wasn't sure if he was surprised as it had been that long or because is felt like he had always been here.

"Lovely eyes, Quinn?" the man smiled, "Hi there little Quinn, I'm…."

"Rod" Jack said and Ianto looked up, smiling as his husband stepped into view from the other room of the café, "Thought I heard your voice. Hey there cowboy."

Quinn was reaching up demandingly and Jack leaned in to unclip and lift him to his hip, the toddler now looking satisfied with the actions of his other favourite slave….ah…parental.

"No!" Rod gasped, "He's yours?"

"Gray. He married Ianto's' sister, then died. As did she when this one was born. So, Ianto and I were faced with raising him" Jack said and Ianto felt a weird feeling of … well … where was the mention of love? Their own marriage? Jack made it sound like some sot of arrangement and the long tiring day with a grizzle monster seemed all that more heavy for a moment, then Jack smiled at his friend.

"Of course, I got the best end of the stick, didn't I. Turns out a gorgeous Welsh beauty took my heart even more than Rhiannon's took Gray's. It was like … an instant spark of something and I was head over heels. Who would have thought, huh? Me. Like a moth to a flame, my gorgeous love seems to like me too, forgives almost everything I do and I am sure you know that covers a plethora of things. Yah. Big word son, Plethora. Means myriad, or collection or lots and lots. Yeah."

"Quinn is interested in words, he doesn't speak but seems to drink in everything. He likes hearing long words. Plethora." Ianto said as he addressed his son and little eyes widened as he listened, Jack shivering.

"Gods baby, that's naughty to tease me in the entire café" Jack hissed under his breath, "I will remember that word for later."

Ianto laughed and accepted his son as Jack seized the handle of the carriage and shot it around to its usual resting place, instantly inciting madness as the staff saw it and all rushed to steal their little cherub.

Ianto watched the baby disappear and sighed softly, "And like a fart in a high wind … he was gone."

Rod looked at Ianto with undisguised interest as Jack walked to the table his Great Coat was already waiting at and as Ianto went to sit he felt his chair get moved out slightly, then pushed to his knees as he sat.

Ianto wondered if Jack had noticed.

It had been Rod showing him some attention.

He wasn't sure how to react.

Especially as Jack had shown no reaction at all.