Moving forward.
"You're early. Bevan's still at his friend's but he should be back soon," Jack said as he pulled the door wide open. Rhys approached laden with what looked like pink an avalanche of gifts.
"Not to worry, I made good time; no traffic. Bronwyn sends her apologies she's started the day with the worst bout of morning sickness so far."
"No need to explain I understand," Jack pointed out. "Try ginger beer, that worked for me."
"Oh, we've tried ginger everything." Rhys handed Jack the first of two large pink gift bags; one covered in pink fluffy angels and the other pink babies in upturned umbrellas with balloons.
"You shouldn't have." Jack took the first bag then second and saw both were filled with several wrapped gifts.
"You've got two sets of grandmothers; Mary Cooper and my mum, and then Rhiannon. They can't help themselves. When they knew I was coming up they loaded me up." Rhys handed Jack the bag on his other arm.
"That's what I mean. You shouldn't have," Jack reiterated. "Brenda and Mary have already knitted and sent up enough for twenty babies."
"It's because they are besotted with baby fever."
Jack went to take the parcel Rhys was carrying. "I'll carry this. It's from me and Bronwyn." Rhys winked at Jack.
Opening the front door wide open Rhys stepped through and followed Jack inside.
"And it will be your turn next," Jack said as Rhys took in the view from the lounge door that took in garden and sea wall. "In six months be prepared to be buried under an ocean of baby clothes."
"God, this is nice I just love this view." Rhys opened the slider door to the garden and took a deep breath. "Beach outside your back door with a breeze to blow the cobwebs out." Rhys turned to view the inside to see Ianto.
"Here she is," Ianto said proudly, cradling a pink bundle. Rhys gently took the baby in his arms.
"She's beautiful Ianto," Rhys felt her flex a little. "Did you finally settle on a name?"
"Megan Rose," Jack put his arm around Ianto.
"You forget just how tiny they are," Rhys said, stroking her hand.
"You'll soon have a reminder all of your own," Ianto pointed out.
"Can't believe it; we scored first try. I was hoping we could keep up the practice but it just happened," Rhys said, not looking up.
"How is Anwen handling it?" Jack asked.
"She's was like Bevan when he found out about Megan, she's over the moon. Can't stop talking about it. She's already drawn the baby pictures of the house, inside and out, and told it about being naughty and how to avoid getting into trouble."
"Rhys it's brilliant," Jack said as Ianto nodded in agreement and broke into huge smiles.
"Well I hope my little one is as gorgeous as Megan. I think it's wonderful she's both yours and Jacks," Rhys said.
"One of the advantages of Jack providing security and acting as the liaison for the 'Gieni' trade delegation to Earth," Ianto explained. "We had access to their reproductive services. They can combine the genetic material of any two individuals regardless of the sex to create an embryo."
"As far as anyone knows we used a surrogate and mixed our contributions together." Jack could see Rhys forming a question. "Ianto froze several samples before he had radiotherapy." Rhys nodded his understanding.
"And both our names will be on the birth certificate," Jack added.
"Well, I think it's bloody marvellous."
"Yeah, no morning sickness or trying to hide my pregnancy as a beer gut," Jack joked.
"How is Bronwyn?" Ianto asked as he now carefully handed over Megan to Jack.
"Morning sickness," Rhys repeated his earlier news.
"I'm sorry she couldn't make it," Ianto said.
"She is too, she loves coming up here." Rhys bent down and held out the large parcel over to Ianto.
It was heavy so Ianto opened it on the floor. "I made the chair but Bronwyn decorated it," Rhys said as Ianto removed the paper.
"Wow, " Jack and Ianto expressed almost simultaneously.
"I can see her just loving this," Ianto said as he admired the artwork. It was a toddler-sized chair painted pink with highlighted flowers of every colour.
"Please thank Bronwyn for us, this is amazing," Jack said.
"I keep telling her she needs to stop doing all this for friends and start selling but you know her, she likes to hide her flame under a bushel," Rhys said.
Rhys walked over to the table, picked up the angel bag and handed it to Ianto. "This is from me Mam." Rhys saw a look pass from Ianto to Jack.
"You can relax. She's now turned her full-time knitting from you to me."
"It's not that we mind; it's just we've got enough baby booties to last until she's eighteen years old," Ianto pointed out.
"Listen, there's no escaping. She sees you two along with Bevan as family. As far as she's concerned Megan Rose is her granddaughter and as such booties are something granddaughters need in abundance."
Ianto proceeded to open each gift. As the last one was opened, Rhys handed him other bag.
"This is from Mary."
"It's like they are trying to outdo each other," Jack joked at the pile of exquisite knitwear.
"Which one can out knit the other," Ianto agreed.
"I think Mary's a bit lonely now Geraint has passed and what with Gwen still swanning about in the US. Fussing over everyone is something that keeps her mind off the fact Gwen hasn't been in contact for months."
"I'll call her later invite her up for a few days?" Jack said
"She would love that," Rhys agreed.
"And there would be no argument from Bevan." Ianto nodded
Any further conversation halted as Megan made a snuffle then began an urgent cry.
"I think that means she's ready the second part of her feed. I'll go change her and settle her down." Ianto moved to take her.
A few moments passed as Jack sorted through the pile of knitted baby wear.
"It's great to see you two so happy," Rhys spoke up.
"Yeah, it got rough there for a while. A few old demons raised their heads and needed to be excised. Ianto's health scare put us back on the straight and narrow. It was a reminder we need to take each day as it comes. Tomorrow will look after itself."
"That was one hell of a fright," Rhys agreed.
"Who knew the second cell line can throw up a false negative reading? If nothing else the tests confirmed that he's been in remission since the second cell line was administered."
"I know you've both struggled at times, what couple doesn't." Rhys took a breath. "I mean it took me a long time to trust but we still have our moments and now you've got Megan."
"She is beautiful isn't she," Jack agreed.
"I'm not meaning to pry but I've always been curious. What made you decide to come back after you left?" Rhys asked
"The day I left I sat there in the car outside Ianto's flat, thinking about his last words to me. He made me promise not to regret that I had walked away. I think I feared hope. I realised that by walking away the Master and my brother would win, they had destroyed me by taking away what made me human. They had made me fear the one thing that would keep me safe from the ravages of the journey I'm on. Life is about hope, it's what starts us down every road we take. So here I am. It's not been easy." Jack paused "This is going to sound strange but I've never stayed before. I've always ended a relationship when things got tough, so in lots of ways this is all new to me."
"Well, I for one am glad you came back. You faced your past and your mistakes and look at the reward. You look the most relaxed and happy since I've known you. Fatherhood suits you and Megan is gorgeous."
"Yes she is," Ianto said coming back into the room.
"All settled?" Jack asked.
"I changed her then she finished her bottle and fell asleep on the last suck." Ianto was about to say more when Bevan flew through the door into Rhys arms.
"Big Daddy!" Rhys wrapped him up in his arms and gave him a bear hug.
"Did you see Megan, isn't she little? When she came it all happened so fast Daddy and Taddy were both working at home and they got a call. I had to go next door to Mrs Brace. I watched some television then I went to bed. Next morning I was having breakfast when Taddy called and told me I have a baby sister. When they came home she was all wrinkly and red. It was because she was only eight hours old."
"Exciting," Rhys agreed.
"I help both Dad and Tad look after her. I've even held her bottle. She likes her milk all warm. You have to be careful with her head and I am very gentle" Bevan mimicked the movements.
"So, a baby sister," Rhys encouraged.
"Yes I am a big boy now and I will have to look after her."
"Well I've got some more news for you." Bevan looked up at Rhys.
"I'm going to need your help in the big brother department because Auntie Bronwyn is going to have a baby."
Bevan looked serious. "So my sisters are Anwen and Megan and now I'm going to be a brother again, that's three."
"That's right and you can tell Megan and the new baby all your funniest jokes," Jack told him.
Bevan took in a sharp breath. "I have one right now. Why is an elephant large, grey, and wrinkly?"
Rhys pretended to think hard and looked to Bevan for the punch line.
"Because if it was small, round, and white it would be an aspirin!"
Ianto forced a laugh and stood. "Gets better every time I hear it." He picked up Bevan's backpack and headed towards the kitchen. He returned a few moments later with three opened bottles of beer and a glass of juice on a tray.
"I think it's time for a toast." Ianto handed out the drinks.
"To fatherhood," Rhys raised his bottle.
"To love, happiness, and dreams coming true," Jack replied looking at Ianto who squeezed Jack's hand.
"Absent friends," Ianto added quietly.
"Megan, Anwen, Bevan and the little one," Rhys added
They clinked bottles but before they could take a sip they heard a small cough beside them and saw it was Bevan with a raised glass. "And to the best daddies in the whole world."