21
Ianto woke to find Jack gone and his mother fussing about the room, clucking her tongue.
"Where did Jack go?"
"Some of us need to work young man" she huffed, "You've been quite busy yourself and I thought the cabin would be a lovely we break for you but you've come back worse than ever. I know it's been a few months but maybe the two of you need another getaway. Goddess knows you never know when to quit."
"I am feeling run down" Ianto admitted, "Jack wants me to take a few days off and just snooze, lounge about and try to settle a bit."
"Oh good!" she gushed, "I have a new project I wanted to talk to you about but you never seem to be about. I know Jack wouldn't understand, you know how men are."
Ianto blinked and then stifled a laugh behind a cough as she turned to leave, "I'll bring you something to eat, you have a lie in darling."
"Thank you" Ianto called after her and then started to giggle to himself.
Lucifer was asleep, his little belly exposed and his wee nipples looked like pimples as they poked through the black fur. Ianto resisted the urge to rub that belly, knowing it would wake him so he settled for looking at the ceiling and wondering if Jack was warm enough.
"Here we go" Dahlia crooned, entering with a tray and then she made a small noise, "Oh, sounds like someone's awake from her nap."
Ianto sat up and chewed on a chicken sandwich as Dahlia returned with a little imp, placing her on the bed where she squealed and promptly crawled to Ianto.
"Ah, you!" Ianto said with mock severity. "You still here?"
She laughed like she knew what he was saying and then she snuggled against him.
"I'll go get her bottle, looks like she might want a cuddle with her Taddy" Dahlia said, watching Ianto croon and fuss happily.
Ianto pulled over a nappy and changed his little girl, noticing that her knees seemed less chubby and he wondered if she was starting to grow again, these growth spurts meaning more clothes. He clipped up the onesie and let her slip into the bed with him where she babbled happily, her little hands used to help with the story of nonsense, just like her Dada.
"You are so much like your father" he said happily, "My little rubbish talker. Yes you are!"
She laughed and then cooed as Dahlia entered with a bottle, offering it to her and watched Ianto settle her in his arm.
"You need anything else?" Dahlia asked, her desire to fuss overwhelming.
"Well, you know that old bathrobe Jack makes fun of? Could you possibly wash it for me? It has a funny smell, I think that Jack has been wearing it again" Ianto suggested, finally coming up with something after thinking hard and she took off with glee.
That should keep her busy for a while.
Ianto knew he couldn't keep the baby from her much longer, she was going to smell it out sooner or later but at least for now Jack had created enough of a seed in her mind to think he was just tired.
He looked down at his dumpling and wondered if she would welcome the new life. Surely she would, right?
He heard the SUV come up the drive and smiled, coming up the side of the house meant he probably had Tosh with him and Ianto smiled happily at the thought of a cuddle with her, voices calling out as they came inside.
Yes.
Tosh.
The door opened and she swept in with some files and a grin, the PDA slipping but Jack caught it.
"I have a project, an idea you can help with" she gushed as she climbed into Jack's side, "I was thinking that if we can get another look at those photos you took for Unit's secure archives, we might work out what shit they don't have and will swap for."
Ianto watched Jack scoop up their daughter and wink before wandering off to find his mother and the two friends cuddled happily as they plotted.
"Mama?" Jack found his mother in the back garden playing with a cat, flicking a ball and watching it run back to drop it and wait, like a dog.
"What's wrong love?" she asked without looking up.
"I missed you" Jack said simply and she shone as she stood to give him a kiss.
"Is he really OK?" she asked and Jack felt a twist as he grimaced, unable to lie but bound by his promise not to tell.
"He will be, just needs time" he finally said and she nodded, happy with the answer.
Byrd squealed to be let down and he placed her down on the seat his mother had warmed and she clapped as she looked up at the clouds passing and then looked to him as she pointed at the sky.
"Yes little Byrdie" he crooned, "We have time. It passes too."