8
Ianto was enjoying the peace as the family rampaged outside.
Even Bets was enjoying the day, snowball fights and eggnog penciled in for the afternoon. So, yeah Ianto liked order.
So?
Ianto stood looking up at the huge tree in the forecourt of the chalets, wondering how they were going to dispose of it, something he hadn't asked Bets. Heck just always seems to make them disappear.
Some ornaments were looking bedraggled, the apples down to cores or completely gone as the local wildlife had enjoyed their offerings.
Ianto frowned and wandered inside, soon followed by the eagle-eyed Babbit.
"Taddy?"
"Kitchen munchkin" Ianto called out, turning from his task as Babbit strode in, full captain mode engaged.
"Taddy. You OK?"
"Yes darling. Just thinking, the poor birds and squirrels are hungry. All this snow will make it harder for them to forage." Ianto said then glanced up to see a look of doom. "Its OK sweetheart, I wouldn't let them starve!"
The others finally came inside, bumbling and laughing as they rushed to the open fire and warmed their hands. Stephen was the first to smell it.
"Popcorn!" he declared, looking around.
Babbit sat in Heck's big chair, where he seemed to live these days, his tongue firmly between his teeth as he threaded popcorn onto string with a darning needle.
"Watch your fingers darling" Ianto crooned as a fresh bowl was offered, this one colored with food coloring and Babbit gasped.
Ianto then left, returning with two more different colored bowls of popcorn.
"Food coloring, not harmful to the creatures of the land" Ianto said calmly as Babbit eyeballed the bowls, then Babbit nodded and continued stringing.
"Can I do some Babs?" Walter asked and Babbit grunted, pointing his needle at another string.
Soon Walter was leaning against the chair as they shared the responsibility.
"I'm sticky wet!" Stephen sighed, "May I have a shower?"
Ianto kissed his cheek and handed him a mug of hot chocolate to take with him and Stephen looked lovingly at him as he wandered down the hall.
"DADDY YOU BUGGERY MONNERAL!" came a roar and Ianto swung to see Jack laying on the floor, calmly plucking popcorn off the other end and chewing thoughtfully.
"You bad man!" Ianto scolded as he grabbed Jack by his feet, dragging him away from the popcorn.
"But baby, it's popcorn!" Jack wailed.
"These are for our woodland babies!" Babbit growled, "Poor hungry animals!"
"I'm a hungry animal!" Jack dramatically flopped around on the floor as Ianto slapped his butt and told him to cut it out.
"You can have this!" Babbit said calmly sliding out of the chair.
He walked over and upended the bowl, unpopped cornels and popcorn bits falling on him like confetti, "Lick that up ya stinky Dad!"
Ianto was on his knees laughing hysterically as Jack spluttered and struggled to his feet.
"You bloody little …."
"He's right. Think about the big picture here!" Walter had followed Babbit over and stood with his hands on his hips, brown eyes just as fiery as his Taddy's blue could be.
Jack looked at him with wonder, there could be no mistaking the parentage of this child as Ianto's frown held him.
"There are babies starving out there! Their mums and dads rely on us to feed them now!" Walter said grandly, throwing an arm around Babbit's shoulders, "Babs was so clever to think of this. We need to support each other right now, Christmas is about giving, not receiving!"
Ianto felt his heart bursting through his chest as he looked at his boys, united against Jack and rushed over, engulfing them in a hug.
"I am so proud of you both, my beautiful little men!" he gushed and the boys rolled their eyes at each other knowing when Taddy got gushy it's best to stand still and let him get it over with.
Jack grinned as he hooked the end of a string and made gobble noises, only to be stopped by a new voice.
"NO!"
Everyone turned and Ianto now knew he was going to die of happiness and little Ton pointed his binky at Jack from his play mat.
Ton's first word!
No.
.
.
.
I have been asked about Babbit's personality. I have mild Asperger's but Aubrey (the 26yr old) is extreme. It runs in our family and Babbit is loosely based on him. Of all our family, he is sometimes the most acidic yet amusing at the same time. He has no inner monolog and just comments randomly. Just as Jem (23) has thrown dark and represents the Maori and Spanish blood of Dad to the fullest with his brown skin, piercing brown eyes and curly black hair, Aubs was born blonde, blue eyed and was angelic from the first flutter of long lashes. A throwback to our Nordic past (Has a cousin that is identical even down to the blonde ringlets). As a small child, people would rush over to gush as he was very pretty. To my horror, he sometimes deigned to answer them and his wicked tongue never disappointed.
His first sentence was to our neighbors and not one for the baby book. It was "Fucking ugly dog!"
As my father was the potty mouth who forgot small ears, I was at least satisfied that he was holding the beast's little hand while talking to the neighbor at the time.
