4

Ianto released the beast, letting Josh run squealing with glee as he headed for the nearest monkey bars, his baby brother asleep in his little capsule. Ianto selected a bench nearby and settled, placing the baby on the soft grass and watched his son play.

With the three mornings a week at the hub, Josh in pre-school and Rhia taking them some afternoons, Ianto was enjoying more time to himself. He was using it to visit with his grandparents more, the old blood renewing as he now stood on the ground of his people and he was relieved that he could do so now.

Finally, he could replenish all he had lost.

Finally, he seemed to have found a peace, even if it was at a cost.

Rhiannon called out, waving as she walked over and he rose to greet her, kissing her cheek and turning to Josh to call out, "Joshua Ifan Harkness Jones, do not land on your head!"

The upside down monkey simply waved as he watched his Aunty Rhia sit and check Jay as Ianto walked smoothly back to the SUV.

Now she had matching seats in her own SUV for Josh and a locking saddle for the capsule there was an easy handoff like this, making it easier for Josh who had asked on more than one occasion why Taddy was leaving.

How could Ianto explain?

As Ianto drove off a man entered the playground with a dog leash, cursing softly as he slumped next to Rhiannon.

"You've not seen a poodle by any chance have you?" he asked Rhiannon and she shook her head.

"Sorry, just arrived to get my nephews. I could ask my brother but he usually disregards anything but his kids" she apologised and he smiled softly.

"Such a lovely voice, I bet you speak Welsh too" he sighed, "Bloody thing. Not mine, my flat mate's. Always getting out, always comes back looking shagged. She'll be knocked up in no time."

Rhiannon laughed along with him and then looked back to Josh.

"Lovely little baby there, what's his name?" he asked.

"Jackson" she smiled, "Jackson Harkness-Jones the Second if you want to be hoity-toity about it. But we call him Jay. My brother is Ianto Harkness-Jones, these are his."

"He gave him his name" he whispered with shock.

"Well, Joshua there has Ianto's as a middle name." she pointed and he blinked again, "But this little one is the dead spit of his Dad."

He leaned closer to look at the baby and as he did Jay woke blinking up at the man and a grin spread across his little face, stilling the man with awe.

"His Dad is just as handsome, bloody devil" she scolded lightly, "You are going to be a lovely wee man aren't you, just like Tadda. Right?"

"Well, I have a poodle to catch, probably beat me home" he rose politely and bowed as he turned to leave, "Lovely to see the little ones."

"Nice to meet you" she smiled and he walked away as calmly as he could, still unable to get his head around the fact he had given him his name.

Harkness-Jones.

What was it about that enigma in a three piece suit that was so….

Fucking wonderful.

Wonderful enough to give him his name when all through their relationship Jax never….never let him use their relationship in a public show of commitment as intimate as sharing names.

Maybe he would ask him.

John Hart threw the dog leash in the trash as he steamed, not sure if he was more insulted by the fact that the baby was more than he could ever give Jack or that Eye Candy got more than ever thought possible from Jack.

He turned back and pulled the leash back out as he realised this was far from over.

Gods, but it burned.

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Gwen was looking at the table cloths in the shop window as she pulled the coat around her tighter, her discomfort at the cold nothing to the worry that she might have been a bit hasty in choosing deep lavender tablecloths.

She fumbled out her phone and it rang a few times before a familiar voice sighed softly to show annoyance "Gwen?"

"Hey, I was thinking about what you said about the cloths. I never thought of the plate being a similar colour on the bottom layer of settings." She sighed, "I can see looking at them that it will look silly."

"Well, let's think it over" Ianto sighed and she grimaced as she heard his annoyance again. She hated annoying him as it felt like he was not one to piss off, "Look. The bottom plate and the cloth are almost the same, right?"

"Yeah?" she was pulled from her thoughts.

"Well, what if we get smaller white cloths and have the lavender under the white, then the lavender bottom plate and white plates for the rest, layer the colours." He finally said, "Gwen, is someone with you?"

"What?" she asked with surprise, "No, just me standing in the cold like a twat waiting for Owen to pull the SUV around from the alley."

"I thought…I thought I heard something"

She looked around and shrugged, "Just other people passing"

Ianto agreed to ask the organiser about white top cloths and plate setting then rang off, standing there looking at his phone for a long time.

He had heard something….a whisper of something that was so familiar.

But then…..

It faded away.

Gwen slid her phone back in her pocket and turned to watch the SUV turn and head for her, the figure across the road glanced over without a second thought as it walked the white poodle.

John Hart watched her climb in and the SUV roared off with the weasel faced man he had beaten for her behind the wheel.

He wondered if he would be smiling at her if he knew she had ordered that beating for laughing at her when she had wine spilt on her at some meal that had meant a great deal to her.

Bitch shit on everyone, didn't she.