"Come in and take a seat" he said without looking up from the file he was reading. Once the person he had issued the challenge to had accepted, he looked up, "Glad you could make it. It's only three hours after I requested your presence."

"I had chores."

He snorted softly "Right. Of course. Chores."

Silence as he signed the report and placed it aside, choosing another which was opened like he really wasn't interested in what he was about to tell his visitor.

"It has come to my attention that you and your parental have issues" he flicked a page over and ignored the slight tic of the eye that he may have witnessed had he glanced up. Instead he continued to speak "I understand your anger. After all … you needed him and he was not there. You had to become the person you are without his guidance, without his love. You look at him now and feel …. Jealousy."

"No. I do not begrudge him the happiness he has found" came a calm reply.

He grinned, flicking another page "Nice. Said with such vigour and reserve. Practice that did you?"

He looked up, took in the tic he could now see and looked down again. He got no satisfaction from this, not that he would admit that "So. You believe it was all his fault then?"

"No. My mother … my mother seems to have embellished slightly"

The snort came without warning and he swallowed it with a sigh "Ah. Yes. You now see that she may have waxed lyrical a bit?"

"She told me that he left us, that he … he … didn't want our life. Wanted his career more. Wanted a spot on this boat!"

He closed the file and leaned back.

"And you believe this?"

"Yes. I do … I mean … I did"

"Your mother is not a bad woman, nor a vindictive one. She merely wanted to protect you from the truth that your father chose a dangerous path that almost placed you in danger. The only way to protect you was for her to either go with him and stick close, or cut him off. She chose the easier path. No blame there, a single woman with a young child … of course she was bitter"

"She … I realise now she told me some untruths. I chose to believe them, I chose to accept my parental did not love me enough to stay, did not care enough. Left me for …. Well. The other life he wanted more."

"Untruth" he repeated as he stared across the desk "An… untruth. What a polite way of saying a lie. She lied. Your mother lied. You can say that you know, it doesn't have to linger on your tongue, not between us. For we both love him, both ache for his smile. Both wish we had him more, longer … without these … untruths between us."

"I watch him with the other two, with Rhiannon's children and I see the parental he would have been for me … the parental he is" the admission so softly spoken he almost didn't hear it and he grunted. Then motioned for a continuation of the conversation. This seemed the most they had spoken so far and he was hopeful that they might find common ground, find an easier way to pass one another with less feelings of annoyance.

"You accused me of jealousy … maybe there is some" came a final agreement that startled him enough to show it briefly, the soft laughter telling him his face betrayed him.

"So I am right. You begrudge his happiness now with the child you wish to be?"

"No. You still don't get it do you" the sigh almost a huff "I am jealous of you."

Now he is the one looking confused.

"You have him. His attention, his love his …. Time. Time I will never have" came a sullen sniff "All those times I wished him to be there, beside me where he was needed. All that time he was making his way to you. You. Why are you more than my mother? Why am I less than Indigo?"

"It's …. Oh. Wow. You really think the love he has for Indigo is more than the love he has for you? Really? You … you are young. You do not understand. When you have lived as long as I have you will learn that love is not a one size fits all and love is not more for a child you hold daily compared to a child you miss and mourn as if dead. Shame on you for thinking as such. When you have more than one child to juggle you will see … there is no real favourite. Only different loves."

"So what now?"

"Tonight you take a seat at our table and we will break bread as one family. We will set aside the past …. Untruths… and accept a new way forward without need to dwell" he offered a peace pipe "I will forgive you for hurting him with your public displays of separation in the past and you will forgive him for being happy in the life he fought hard to protect. Does every day."

"I understand"

"Good" he rose and offered Alice a hand "Take my hand and agree."

She did without thinking and the bolt of electricity made her gasp as her back arched, then he released her. She staggered back, rubbing her palm with horror.

"And so the bond is complete" Ianto said softly. "Boeshanninan. Time you woke up to that blood in your veins."

"Yes …. Tad" she whispered with awe.

Finally she saw that her anger and jealousy she had felt these past months had been foolish. This man would not take her place at her father's side, nor would his son take her place in his heart.

Boeshanninan.

This man would love her as his own.

As is their way.

She had been foolish, hadn't she.

"Come on poppet" Ianto finally smiled, the warmth filling the room "It's OK. We all need time to adjust, and we Boeshanninan are known for our long thought processes. Just look at your father. Still getting up the nerve to introduce me to his mother. Still pretending she is dead so he doesn't have to."

Alice started to giggle as she watched Ianto grimace and she accepted his arm as they started to walk to the mess.

Seems everyone was a bit touchy lately.