10
Time moved on, a routine settled in with Ianto being the one the children all went to for cuddles and affection, Elizabeth surprised to find a welcome room in Ianto's quarters for all of them, like the family room but more cosy. Ianto encouraged them in, fed and pampered them, made them feel like family.
They were family.
The only one not happy was Gwen, watching the touches and glances between the two men, she made a show of reminding Jack when it was her day for him, preferring to find things for the two of them to do that did not involve the others. She started to create firm divisions and it was starting to show. She had worked out that they were intimate and clearly did not like it. She had started to rebel.
Tonight was no exception, Jack waiting patiently in the Main Family Room for his spouses to arrive, news he wanted to share. He watched Gwen enter first "You told them?"
"Yes Jack love, they all know. I sent one of the kitchen girls" Gwen assured him as she settled in her preferred chair by the fire, "They will be here soon."
Elizabeth entered followed by Cheryse, and they settled, looking around for Ianto. They waited. Time passed and Jack became impatient, "Where's Ianto?"
"He was heading to his quarters to change his pants, little Jen had spilt her drink but that was ages ago" Cheryse frowned.
Jack frowned as he looked at his watch and cursed, "Stay here."
He strode across the landing past the other doors to Ianto's and entered without knocking. Ianto looked up with surprise from the baby he was cuddling gently "Jack?"
"What are you doing?"
Ianto blinked, "I am holding Gem. Apparently you wanted your wives for something."
"And you!" Jack spluttered, "Gwen said you were ducking out of things all the time, you really think I would not mind you ignoring my request?"
Ianto rose and carefully placed the baby in her crib then turned to Jack, "Please lower your voice, the others are asleep in their room. Now, for one thing, there was no message for me, only them. Was I supposed to know by means of telepathic communication? Hmmm?"
"I sent word for you as well!" Jack spluttered.
"No you did not. I received no such communication!" Ianto snarled, his hackles rising, "I might be a Gentile but I am still a man and if you ever come in here and challenge me again you had better be ready to back it up. How dare you shout the odds like that with the babans in here. If you give me a couple of minutes to get the nanny in here to mind the girls I shall be right along."
Jack went back to the main room with a feeling of weirdness. Ianto had sounded so … officious like he was trying to return a damaged library book or something. It was not until he was entering the room that it registered what Ianto had actually said.
He hadn't been invited?
"Gwen? Who did you send to get Ianto?" he asked and she looked at him with wide eyes. He knew. In that moment he knew for sure that he had been a complete bastard not noticing a rift. "Oh Gwen."
Ianto stormed into the room and walked over to stand behind Cheryse's chair "Right. Have at it."
Jack blinked, the anger coming off the handsome man in waves as he gripped the back of the chair, his eyebrows raised in fake interest.
"Um … I wanted to let everyone know that I have been offered a posting off-world" Jack said slowly.
"What?" Gwen gaped, "Hoe long would you be gone?"
"WE…" Jack said calmly "Would be moving to Devalon Prime."
"Moving?" Elizabeth squeaked with surprise.
"Yes. I will go ahead and prepare. When I have secured lodgings for all of us I will send for you all. We will settle there as one of the founding families." Jack gushed, "The natives are quite happy to embrace us into their community."
"How long?" Elizabeth asked with horror, "Before we are all together again?"
"Three months on the outside" Jack assured her, "We will be able to survive that right? The best part is … if we are on a new planet we are not bound by the laws of this one. No more commitment for a son!"
"What!" Gwen squeaked, "But we are so close. I am sure the next one might be…"
"Gwen, I make daughters." Jack sighed, "All the daughters I have sired, both now and with my first family? Come on. Ten children in my lifetime and no boys. No, I obviously only make girls."
"Ten?" Ianto said softly, "what do you mean? First family?"
"My first family, I was young when first bonded. My first mate …. We… it was loving and kind. A second wife was chosen after the third baby girl but the poor girl was struck with Gorvit."
"Gorvit." Ianto repeated with horror, the sickness that had killed so many … especially the young men leaving this problem of few males in the population.
"First her, then the baby. Then my first wife then my children, one by one" Jack slumped, "I don't talk about it."
"Clearly not, you never told me" Ianto said softly, his heart aching for the man's loss. This explained why he let Gwen have so much leeway, why the children were so young, the marriages so fresh.
He had lost it all.
"Well then" Ianto said after a few moments of silence, "I guess we need to talk logistics. Gwen will be head of the household while you are gone. As the only male I will be the one to step in beside her as support and general order. Elizabeth, I will need you to step up with the children as Cheryse is still slightly poorly. Cheryse, you focus on Gem and yourself. We will do the hard business. Gwen and I can make this work, I have every faith in her as our first."
Gwen looked at Ianto with surprise, fully expecting him to throw her under the bus and she smiled softly, "thank you Ianto."
Ianto nodded and hoped he would survive the next three months.