9

Ianto had kept his promise to Babs and as he sat on Friday in the NICU with a little one stroking his chin with wonder, he hummed happily.

"My god, it's a wild man in here out of the bushes!" a nurse giggled as she took in the grey whiskers on the usually finely polished man.

"It's a promise" Ianto said softly, never breaking eye contract with the baby who seemed to drink him in. A couple stood by their humidi-crib staring down at the little one and they were nervously talking as Ianto listened. He interrupted their conversation with a soft voice "They do have favourite things already. My Walter was born with a love of music. They hear things in your tum and remember them out here. If you sang to him in your womb … sing to him now."

She glanced at the man in the rocking chair, then her husband who nodded encouragement and she started to hesitantly sing. Ianto could have laughed out loud as he heard his theme song he and Walter had written so long ago.

"She loves that show" the husband whispered "Watches it all the time, has the box sets. He always goes still when the music is playing."

Ianto started to sing, his perfect pitch unmistakable as he sang his song and the parents gaped as he finished it off with a flourish, the babies all squealing in their blankets with glee.

"Walter. Oh my god … Piney. You … Your Doctor Harkness-Jones!" the man pointed "My my god. I don't believe it. The baby whisperer himself!"

"We have all your books" she agreed "Oh wow. We have the colours for the nursery pink until we read about letting a baby be themselves and we have done it all in lemons instead so we can change it to a colour he likes once he shows us which one is his favourite."

"Walty loves blue. Fen is more into reds and golds. Babs is pink … of course. Ton loves green which I think is horrible but it's his choice. Imp seems to be a blue boy like his Taddy. But every now and then he will wear a dark crimson that makes him look dapper."

"And they all chose?"

"Not all at once … like … Water was always. Fen, I didn't have him at first so I don't know. Babs was mostly greens and gold until she realised she was allowed to like pink. Ton was set from his first Toad and Imp … well. The first outfit he ever wore was blue, seemed to strike a chord."

"Well … we will wait with baited breath" the man gushed, turning back to the baby who clutched at a little duck.

"Yellow or lemon might be the right idea anyway" Ianto said after he considered "Of all the toys in there, Gordie always looks for that duck. Yellow."

The young couple gushed happily as Ianto pointed out something that made them feel like they were doing it right.

He was not just here for the betterment of the babies ya know.