10

Ianto sat in the bubbles still pouting, his eyes full of crocodile tears as he watched Jack slide into the bubbles.

"Ah, Gods, it's so hot my balls might cook" Jack grunted as he felt the hot water creep around his hips.

"Then neither of us will have any" Ianto grumped, his bottom lip fully employed.

"Baby, stop that" he scolded softly, "Come on Tiger. Rem knows us and loves us but it's a scary new world to his Queens who have never tried living on Sol3. Come on, they need a wee space to hide and think. You know Catkind like to ponder."

"But they might get cold, how can I check they are covered if they close the door?" he whimpered, a tear rolling as he sniffled, doing his best impression of a broken heart.

Once upon a time Jack would have fallen for it but after all these years he knew Little Yan was just pushing buttons. Wee fella was so tired from playing with the babies and needed a cuddle and beddy.

"There are three of them and Rem has to be the Tadda" Jack reminded softly, "We left lots of covers and that nice soft blanky you love for the TV cuddles, did you see the girls rubbing their faces on it?"

"Yeah" Ianto sighed happily, "They said it smelt like me, poppy corn."

"Yeah, cheeky eh?" Jack crooned as he slid around the bath to cuddle his love, "Come on darling."

Ianto was the first to get out of the bath and he was drying himself when he canted his head "Cariad? Is that the Doctor?"

"I thought he left already" Jack said, still amazed that the sound of the Tardis was so easily heard by his sweetheart's enhanced…sweetness… he climbed out and pulled on a robe, following his sweetling down the stair where the Doctor was waiting with a pained look.

"What's wrong?"

"Er…I have a problem and I…ah. It's late or I would go to the Farm and Auttie…she might have room but…er…OK" The Doctor clapped his hands together, "This is it. A Catkind hybrid, a cross-breed. The mother was shunned and was raising her alone but a couple of days ago the little one arrived on the outskirts of the town dirty, malnourished and it appears the mother died…."

He had stopped talking because Ianto has rushed for the Tardis, hunting for what he knew would be waiting, a terrified little Catling. She was crouched under the console and Ianto lit up when he looked at her, looking beyond the dirt and grime as he saw a pretty little girl with cat features, similar to a Catkind Kat but skin instead of fur, just the face altered almost like face painting by some expert makeup artist.

Ianto saw that she was beautiful.

'Hello Princess, what's your name?" he crooned and she blinked at him with huge brown eyes. "I'm Ianto."

"Caramel" she whispered and Ianto smiled softly.

"Pretty" Ianto whispered, "Caramel. Like..Melly? Or do you like Carey?" he asked, "A special name?"

"I like Melly" she smiled and he saw little kitten teeth peeking from her human mouth, so sweet and adorable his hands twitched.

"I was just having a bath, would you like to come have a bath? I could get you some food while you bathe, if you want" he offered and she nodded, climbing out and he held out his hand, then let it drop, "It's OK. You don't have to hold my hand, I just wanted to hold yours."

She looked surprised and nodded as he let her to the house, pausing as Bandit meowed from the sofa.

"You need the loo old man?" Ianto crooned, lifting his last baby and carrying him to the spot he liked the best and she followed to watch, then follow them back in again. "There you are sweetheart. Pop-pop is making some num nums, you hungry?"

Bandit squeaked happily as he held up his face for kisses, then settled again.

"come on Melly, you can help get his food and then you can eat yours in the bath" Ianto decided, "Deal?"

A little hand slid into his as they walked to the kitchen as he resisted the urge to croon.

Jack watched the exchange and settled to smile at the Doctor, "You know shes ours now, right? You can't dangle pretties at him like that."

"Do you mind?"

"Mind?" Jack snorted, "Doctor, I am with child. Ianto was going to drive me insane during the pregnancy, this is not only a lovely distraction for him but will also help with the fighting him and Autty are trying to work through. She can see he isn't going to steal one of hers and she will freely let him take them anyway."

The Doctor laughed at the logic, then sobered, "You are with child. Are you OK?"

"OK?" Jack glowed, "I am bloody grand!"

A little girl giggled as she fed fish flakes to an old cat and agreed silently.

She felt bloody grand too, the big bowl cooling for her as the nice man with soft hands drew her a big bubbly bath told her she was going to be safe here. His soft fingers stroking her face as he had declared her beautiful filling her with a joy she had never known. The only words she had known from others were freak, weirdo and half blood.

Here?

Yeah.

Grand.