7

Ianto was unaware of the chaos as Owen cleaned the scene and rushed home to tell Tosh who was waiting impatiently. The room was full of love and calm. Ianto smiled softly at his older son, their family so sweet and in his heart he felt complete. Then he frowned "BJ, who is watching the Black?"

"Gwen is" he assured his father, "Shit. I should tell her little Indigo is here."

Ianto watched his son rise from beside the bed then he leaned in and kissed Ianto gently, much as he had kissed BJ when a child and Ianto sighed softly "Sons. I have three strong, handsome sons. I am so blessed. Little Mimi still gets to be the princess. She would have been so jealous of another girl, Gods. Look at him, isn't he perfect? Just like you BJ, you were so small and solemn when this size. Your parental would sit for hours looking at you with such affection. I loved my chances for a hold. Now … look. Another little future rebel!"

"With parentals like you and siblings like us … he could be nothing else" BJ said with pride, the love from his father and that acknowledgement that he was still his son, still thought of as part of the collective really meant a lot. "I love you Taddy."

"And I love my Bri-man" Ianto slurred, settling back.

"Rest" Jack crooned, "He's going to sleep too, rest love."

BJ was also pleased when Jack nodded to him, "Go. Tell them. Herald your baby brother!"

BJ raced form the room, down the halls to the Mess where there were staff eating an talking softly and he entered, looking around with excitement, then saw Rhys exit the kitchen doors with plates of food. He waited until Rhys saw him, placing the plates down then straightening with a look of confusion as he knew BJ had eaten with the first wave.

Then his face slowly changed as he took in the wet cuffs and excited look. Rhys raised his eyebrows. The two he was serving turned as well, Kirby nudging Jemma with excitement as he looked at his friend's face.

"IT'S A BOY!" BJ yelled across the room, "TADDY HAD A BOY!"

The place exploded, if we could have stood outside the vessel in the black expanse we might have actually seen the hull flex as everyone screamed at once, then the flapping and shouting began as people argued about who was going to do what to welcome the child.

BJ accepted handshakes and congratulations, trying not to fly apart with all the pride that was welling up and as the ship started to celebrate up on the Bridge Suzie got the news and she sat back in her chair with relief. She had been secretly worried about Ianto all day, the way he had walked and moved showed discomfort and to learn it had been the baby preparing and not some horrible complication she had been torturing herself with was such a bloody relief.

A boy.

She grinned.

In the VR room Gwen was also relaxing, swinging in the chair as she listened to music and contemplated when she had Rhys might have their own family. She knew things were different up here, the Sol3 regulations of those on active duty not allowed to procreate but Ianto and Jack had. Jack had already told her it was permitted and told her to go for it.

She wondered if Rhys wanted one or ….

A ping.

Gwen swung to look at the screen and squeaked with horror while rising from the chair as the warning ping became insistent, then the little drone that they had been towing was gone, the last image in the screen the huge black shadow falling over it.

Gwen fell into the chair and hit the controls for the second drone that was flying closer to the Torchwood and the Black was unmistakable.

Gwen shakily hit the alarms as she checked their position and with only moments to decide, she reached out and alerted Suzie before sending out several more drones, the current drone also eaten.

Suzie's feet slammed from the chair and she stood, Andy putting it in screen and the new drones showed the Black Bitch coming after them.

"She must have tagged us, something … how the fuck …." Andy was frantically searching for a flight patch away from her, glancing at Suzie. "I don't have a clear site, there is a huge fucking meteor field ahead."

Suzie sighed and did something that made her feel horrible, she called into the Captain's Berth. Jack instantly hissing at her on the screen, "What the hell! He's asleep!"

"Sorry Sir" she replied with a grimace, "But … the Bitch is back"