11
She wanted in the nest with Rem and the Queens, Ianto fighting his sorrow as he gave in and the dream of cuddling her in his bed slipped away.
Instead he settled for tucking her in with them and watching Rem delicately pull her into his lap, his hands stroking in a way that must be familiar to Kats and her as she sighed and made a humming noise that to her little brain must be a purr.
Ianto sighed and slopped up to bed and into his beloved's arms, rubbing the tiny wee bump that held their love inside.
"Do you think she likes me?" a little voice whispered, "I don't know if she likes me."
"Oh baby, everyone likes you" Jack assured him, "How can they not? You are wonderful."
"Really?" a wriggle and warm nose at his throat had Jack grinning, "Coz you are too."
"Oh Tiger" Jack kissed him lovingly, enjoying his sweetling.
.
.
.
.
Jack woke to a frantic Tiger running in a small circle while making squeaking noises.
"Ianto?"
"Oh god, she doesn't like me, I know it, I said so, didn't I?" Ianto was pulling his onesie off "She's gone. I'm a bad Taddy, first Val and now her. Just the same…gone. Just run away and I'm left here. Horrible."
"Ianto…what?" Jack sat up and rubbed his eyes as he tried to understand, "You lost her?"
"Rem woke up and she was gone, thought she was in here and went back to sleep" Ianto sighed, "She's gone."
"OK, let's be calm, have you checked if the doors are still locked? She is too little to reach the top deadbolts we had to put on because of Rem's hide and seek…." Jack had stopped talking as Ianto ran from the room and checked the doors and then started to pull at his front again, thinking this time.
"Ianto?"
"No, you're right. Hide and seek. She was hiding in the Tardis, under the console, she was hiding. She likes small spaces" Ianto said as his eyes flicked around the room, "I need to remember where the Kits hid when her size, think Cariad. Where is she hiding?"
They started hunting high and low, then Ianto made a noise and they all rushed to see what he was looking at under the slide, in the cupboard for the kitty blankets.
Caramel was curled in a tight ball in the blankets, a little nest.
Safe.
Ianto considered and then pulled some out and climbed in, cuddling her to him as he started to make a humming noise like she had been making the night before, rewarded as she snuggled against him eagerly.
Jack and the others left them to it, pushing the cupboard slightly closed and they started breakfast as Ianto basked in the delight of being needed.
Jack pondered this.
He decided the child was a good thing, a reassurance to Ianto that he was able to parent so when the baby came it would not be so frightening for him. He would remember his stride and when their baby came he would be the Baby Rearing God of old, whether Autumn liked it or not.
Speaking of which…
Jack looked out the kitchen window with alarm as she pulled up, Germaine already pulling at the door excitedly as he wanted his play date with Pop-pop.
Jack knew the little one would love a new friend and she would also be relieved to see a little Kat but Autumn was striding towards the house with one of those looks she gets when she has already argued with a Tom or two. The doorbell had Rem walking to answer, picking up the little boy as he cooed and stepping aside as his sister barged past, "Where's Pop-pop?"
"Here" Ianto answered, the little one in his arms.
Autumn blinked, then took a tentative step towards them.
"This is Caramel. She's a mixed breed and her Mama…well, got sick and went away….so Uncle Doctor brought her to me. She's mine!" Ianto said firmly as the little ones wriggled from respective arms to approach one another with excitement.
Germaine moved first, his little yowl answered by a strange noise as she accepted a nose kiss, then they ran for the back yard as one of the Queens stepped in from her morning yoga on the lawn.
Ianto cooed and followed, calling out that they might need hats as he watched them running for the swing set, both babbling excitedly.
Jack watched his granddaughter, leaning in "If it's not a nice comment don't make it. If it's a nice one be sure he can hear it. He is very delicate right now."
Autumn went to the door and watched as he wrestled warm hats on the children, kissing and stroking as he promised breakfast.
He seemed so young and vibrant.
He had missed being needed.
