2

"We need to stick to the agreed plan" Jack agreed reluctantly.

His first reaction was to turn around, to race back to defend the Firebird House but the promise to run, hide and keep the bloodline safe lingered.

"Oh gods" Phoenix whined, "He is in peril."

"So are we darling" Jack said softly as he took him in his arms, "Bennu, Flynt, Nightingale, Firefly, you, me, the crew. Rhiannon. Even that little girl you insist on calling Toshiko just to amuse me"

"She does look a little like Tosh" Phoenix protested weakly as he wrung his hands and paced. "And she is not a little girl. She is fully grown, not her fault her race is only four feet high."

Jack grinned as he saw anger flare, saw Ianto still there soothing Phoenix as well.

Four children. Gods, how did it get to this?

"We need to look at the berthage." Jack muttered as he pulled up the passenger manifest. "I want Firefly and her nursemaid closer to us"

"Yes please" Phoenix said softly as he looked out into the void of space beyond the glass.

Well, force field actually if you want to split hairs but he liked the idea of glass.

Seemed more comforting than just a thin layer of electrical field. Right?

He decided to check his babies and walked the short distance to their rooms.

Rhia was on the floor laughing as Bennu and Flynt performed for the two little girls who watched with interest.

Firefly, or "Effie" was clapping as she watched her brother/nephew dance about while holding Bennu by the hands, allowing him to stand on his feet and NG was happiest just watching Shrieker as he sat up and twitched with humour.

"Well, what are we doing here?" Phoenix asked as he chose a place in the floor and happily accepted the little girl crawling towards him at a rate of speed that was surprising.

"Oh, my little Effie, what are you doing?" he crooned as Flynt let go of Bennu and fell to his butt, rolling to his hands and knees and then crawling over for his share of hugs.

The look on his face was determined as he closed the distance and glared at her while climbing into Phoenix's lap and pushing at her.

It had been a surprise to see the rivalry between the children so close in age, they were practically twins. They seemed happy to share everyone else, but when it came to "Phoenix Time" as Jack called it, they fought for every hug or smile.

He managed to get one on each knee so that they shared the hug and kissed them both equal amount of times, watching as they seemed to count.

"Hello Taddy" Bennu said happily as he took a moment to squat in front of NG and blow her a raspberry, which got the desired scream out outrage, followed by belly laughter.

"He definitely has his father's humour that one!" Phoenix said and Rhia giggled.

"Yes brother" she smiled at her benefactor, "He is more like Jack each day, except for one thing."

"Oh?" Phoenix raised an eyebrow in Jones fashion.

"He is still a bug bear for detail" she pointed and he turned to see his boy adjusting a piece of glass which had moved.

"Taddy?"

"Yes my love?"

"Can I come to the next market? Can I choose for the nest?"

Phoenix felt he might burst with love as his chick declared a desire to add to the family nest and he held out his arms.

"My little chicklet" he crooned, "Of course you can come. As Big Brother, it will be your job to choose a piece for all the babies, for the first Christmas we will all spend together as a family."

"But Grandpa won't be there" Bennu grumped.

"No, but Effie is" he was reminded and Bennu grinned again.

Phoenix tried to remember if they had packed any Christmas ornaments.

Some had survived, surely.